Maalik Murphy arrived at Oregon State with a chance to win the starting job. Instead, he found himself in the backup role - and, by the way people around the program talk about him now, he has responded exactly the way the Beavers wanted.
Murphy, the former Elite 11 finalist and one-time Duke single-season passing touchdown record holder, is heading into what should be his final year of college football after losing the quarterback competition to Braden Atkinson. He has not spoken publicly in months, but those around the team say he has handled the setback with professionalism and has not let it change his approach.
Atkinson, who won the job, has leaned on Murphy as both a teammate and a sounding board.
“Maalik’s been a great teammate to me and even better, a great friend off the field,” Atkinson said. “Maalik and I’s friendship is pretty tight. Me being a younger guy and him having all the experience he’s had, I’ve been asking him so (many) questions trying to nitpick his brain and how he thinks and how he reads stuff.”
Murphy’s experience is the biggest reason that relationship has mattered. He enters the season as the most seasoned quarterback on Oregon State’s roster, even after a difficult 2024. Last year, he completed 58.1% of his passes for 1,805 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Beavers’ 2-10 season wasn’t on Murphy alone, but his struggles, his $1.5 million NIL deal and what fans saw as shaky body language made him a lightning rod well before Gabarri Johnson took over or Tristan Ti’a finished the season.
This offseason, though, Murphy stayed in the fight rather than looking for a transfer. He has helped Atkinson along and, in the words of Woody Atkinson, has been a “Godsend.”
“I know he may get a lot of backlash from the season last year,” Woody Atkinson said. “I can’t speak more about Maalik about what he’s done for Braden these last 7½ months.”
That praise has also come from the coaching staff, and it’s not just empty praise. JaMarcus Shephard and offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen have both pointed to Murphy’s response to the competition as a sign of maturity.
“He’s been incredible the whole time,” Dahlen said. “Even when we brought these transfers in he didn’t flinch and competed and it didn’t really affect what he was doing. That’s a credit to him and his family as well.”
Shephard has made clear he doesn’t believe in a quarterback getting a short leash, and the current setup reflects that. Atkinson is the starter, while Murphy and Brady Jones are splitting work with the second- and third-team offenses.
Even with that role change, Murphy’s preparation hasn’t changed.
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