Maalik Murphy, the first quarterback to visit Auburn football during this transfer portal cycle, has left a significant mark in just two days on the Plains. His presence and evaluations have sparked much interest among fans and the football community.

Why Maalik Murphy Stands Out

After entering the transfer portal on Monday, Auburn became Murphy's first stop. His high regard for Auburn's coaching staff, especially head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, is evident. Having an offensive-minded coach is a major positive for a quarterback, allowing for a better understanding and connection with the play-calling.In his junior season at Duke after transferring from Texas, Murphy won the starting job and put up impressive numbers. In 12 games, he threw for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with a career-best 60.3% completion rate. There was only one game where he threw for less than 205 yards, and three games with one or fewer touchdown passes.During his two seasons at Texas, although he played in only seven games with two starts (after redshirting his freshman season), he showed promise. In those starts, he was 35-62 (56.4%) passing with 418 pass yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Longhorns were 2-0 in his starts.Murphy was a highly regarded four-star recruit out of high school. 247 and Rivals considered him a top-10 quarterback and top-200 player nationally, and composite rankings from 247 graded him as a five-star. He had offers from 25 Power Five programs, including some of the most prestigious like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and USC.The Inglewood, California, native's journey and potential have captured the attention of many. Auburn fans and the football world are eager to see how he will contribute to the team.