Duke QB Maalik Murphy to transfer after just one season in Durham

Maalik Murphy is on the move again.

The Duke quarterback told ESPN on Monday that he was transferring from the Blue Devils after just one season. Duke went 9-3 in 2024 as Murphy was the team’s starting quarterback in coach Manny Diaz’s first season in Durham.

Murphy transferred to Duke from Texas after the 2023 season. He was the Longhorns’ No. 2 QB a season ago ahead of Arch Manning and started two games when Quinn Ewers suffered a midseason shoulder injury. Because of the timing of the transfer portal window, Murphy entered the portal before the College Football Playoff as Manning was elevated to be Ewers’ backup.

Murphy, who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining, had a very solid season at Duke. He was 254-of-421 passing for 2,933 yards and 26 TDs with 12 interceptions. He also rushed for two scores. Across seven games at Texas last season, Murphy was 40-of-71 passing for 477 yards with three TDs and three picks.

Henry Belvin IV is the only player other than Murphy on Duke's roster to throw a pass in 2024. Murphy's last TD at Duke will end up being a 39-yard TD pass to Jordan Moore with no time left to beat Wake Forest in the final week of the regular season.

Murphy was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022, according to Rivals, and the No. 8 pro-style quarterback in the country along with being the No. 7 player in the state of Texas.

Duke is set to play Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2. While Murphy is not going to play in that game, it appears that Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart is. Dart posted a graphic of the bowl game to his Instagram stories with the caption: "last one!" Dart was a fringe Heisman contender for much of the season before Ole Miss lost at Florida to lose a shot at the College Football Playoff.