AUSTIN, TX — Steve Sarkisian has named Maalik Murphy as the Texas Longhorns starting quarterback for the team’s matchup vs. the BYU Cougars on Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

“Maalik is going to start Saturday,” Sarkisian said on Thursday.

Sarkisian picked Murphy over true freshman Arch Manning, the former No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, and nephews of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, after a solid week of practice in which both players split first-team reps.

“There’s not a throw that he can’t make,” Sarkisian said of Murphy on Monday. “I think he’s got really good leadership qualities. The guys like playing with Maalik.”