When Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy committed to join the Beavers football program on Thursday, Oregon State won its biggest transfer portal victory in the past two years.
Murphy visited OSU’s campus on Wednesday. Murphy is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound redshirt sophomore who has two years left of eligibility. Murphy visited Auburn and Kentucky earlier in the transfer process. After spending two years at Texas, the former four-star quarterback recruit spent the most recent season at Duke.
As Trent Bray enters the second year of his time as head coach at Oregon State, Murphy is his most notable addition. Among the quarterback prospects in the 2025 transfer portal, Murphy was ranked third by 247Sports. Murphy played at Junipero Serra High in Inglewood while growing up in Southern California.
OSU’s largest recruiting success since acquiring former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in 2022 is landing Murphy. Given that the Beavers are attempting to maintain their national relevance in the wake of the Pac-12’s collapse in 2023, it is probably more significant.
It felt like a tremendous chance, and I truly felt welcomed and wanted there, Murphy told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday. That’s all I could ask for—to be prioritized. Being a Beaver and going out with the guys excites me!
This season, Murphy threw for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns to lead Duke to a 9-3 record. Murphy passed for 332 yards against Virginia Tech and 325 yards against Miami, both of which were games in which he threw for more than 300 yards.
Murphy participated in seven games at Texas, including two starts. As a Longhorn, he passed for 477 yards and three touchdowns.
Murphy raises doubts about Ben Gulbranson’s future and is probably going to start Oregon State’s 2025 season opener against California. Gulbranson, a rising senior, has not yet stated if he plans to enroll in medical school, go to the transfer portal, or return to OSU. Throughout his Beavers career, Gulbranson started 12 games, including three of the season’s final four games.
Rising sophomore Gabarri Johnson, redshirt freshman Kallen Gutridge, and the possibility of incoming freshman Tristan Tia, who is anticipated to sign with the Beavers in February, are all in Oregon State’s quarterback mix.
When Murphy entered his name in the portal a year ago following a two-year stint at Texas, Oregon State pursued him. Though it’s unclear if they arrived on school together, he met Bray at Portland International Airport. In the end, Murphy chose to move to Duke.
The contact information for Nick Daschel is 360-607-4824, [email protected], or @nickdaschel.
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