Maalik Murphy’s Search for Consistency Continues as Oregon State Faces Wazzu

Height: 6’5
Weight: 234
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Inglewood, CA
High School: Junipero Serra HS
Previous School: Texas / Duke

STATS

Career: 448/755 (59%), 5,132 yards, 38 TDs, 23 INTs | 3 rushing TDs
2025: 154/263 (59%), 1,722 yards, 9 TDs, 8 INTs

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AT A GLANCE

Maalik Murphy arrived in Corvallis as a seasoned transfer with starting experience at two Power Five programs — Texas and Duke.

He began his career at Texas, where he appeared in seven games across two seasons, completing 40 of 71 passes for 477 yards and three touchdowns. Within those seven appearances, he made two starts — against BYU and Kansas State — both of which resulted in victories for the Longhorns.

With Texas fully committed to then–starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, Murphy decided to seek a new opportunity where he could become a full-time starter. That decision led him to Durham, North Carolina, where he joined Manny Diaz and the Duke Blue Devils.

Murphy made an immediate impact, delivering one of the most productive quarterback seasons in Duke history. He completed 60% of his passes for 2,933 yards and a school-record 26 touchdown passes while starting 12 games and leading the Blue Devils to a 9–3 record.

Despite that success, Murphy elected to transfer again, this time to Oregon State, arriving in Corvallis in December to participate in spring football.

Murphy has started all eight of Oregon State’s games thus far. At times, he has flashed the same tools and upside that made him such a valuable prospect at both Texas and Duke. However, much like the Beavers’ season as a whole, Murphy’s 2025 campaign has been a rollercoaster. There’s been a mix of productive outings, some marred by turnovers, and others where he and the Beaver offense simply couldn’t find rhythm or sustained production.

In Oregon State’s last game before the bye, against Lafayette, Murphy was pulled in the second half in favor of redshirt sophomore Gabarri Johnson, who proceeded to lead an offensive explosion that saw the Beavers score on five consecutive drives en route to their first win of the season.

Through eight games, Murphy has completed 59% of his passes for 1,722 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Ahead of this week’s matchup against Washington State, interim head coach Robb Akey has given no indication of who will get the start on Saturday. However, during his Monday press conference, he offered this:

“There’s been a blend of both of (Murphy and Johnson) as the season has gone on — we’re looking to build off of that. And we expect to move forward and continue to grow that.”

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TOP TRAITS

ARM STRENGTH

Maalik Murphy’s arm talent, specifically his arm strength, is special. Not just great, but truly special. On film, Murphy has consistently made throws throughout his college career that are clearly “next level.”

Whether he’s driving the ball downfield or attacking the intermediate areas, Murphy’s arm strength stands out. He can deliver the ball to every area of the field with varying trajectories, and always with ease.

An example of this can be seen at the 17:40 mark in the video below. Off a quick play-action fake, Murphy releases the ball from his own six-yard line, and his receiver hauls it in at the 36—a 30-yard throw completed with minimal arc and, seemingly, no effort.

OFF-PLATFORM PASSING

When the pocket collapses or on plays designed to move it, Murphy remains just as effective throwing on the run or off-platform. For many quarterbacks, arm strength and accuracy tend to dip in those situations due to the awkward mechanics required. That’s not the case for Murphy. His ability to generate power and precision from unconventional platforms makes him a constant threat outside the pocket, whether by design or improvisation.

At the 3:14 mark in the video below, Murphy rolls to his right off a play-action fake. While on the run and with a defender directly in his face, he fires a 20-yard touchdown pass with perfect placement and velocity.

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