Tag: maalik murphy

Duke quarterback Grayson Loftis joins Maalik Murphy in the transfer portal

Grayson Loftis became the second Duke quarterback to hit the transfer portal in 24 hours on Tuesday afternoon.

For the second time within 24 hours, a Duke quarterback announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon.

On3 transfer portal reporter Pete Nakos said that sophomore Grayson Loftis will enter the transfer portal and search for a new team this offseason. Nakos cited Loftis’s agent, Shane Burnham, in the report.

Loftis didn’t throw a pass for the Blue Devils in 2024, but he picked up four yards on two carries on the ground. He appeared in eight games as a freshman last season, throwing for 1,006 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The South Carolina native put together his best game against Drake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels, throwing for 189 yards and scoring four total touchdowns in the 47-45 overtime loss. He completed 55.8% of his passes and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt in that debut season.

Texas Longhorns transfer [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] won the starting job for 2024, but the coaching staff didn’t name him as the starter until a few weeks before the season to let Loftis challenge him for the top spot on the depth chart. However, with Murphy declaring his intention to enter the transfer portal on Monday night, it appears Henry Belin IV will be the primary quarterback against Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Jordan Moore and Chandler Rivers show love to Maalik Murphy after transfer portal decision

Duke football stars Jordan Moore and Chandler Rivers shared their support for quarterback Maalik Murphy after his decision to transfer.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] made the relatively surprising decision to hit the transfer portal again after one year as the program’s starter, but it seems the former Texas Longhorn still made an impact on his teammates.

Star wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] and All-ACC cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag] both expressed their admiration for Murphy on social media on Tuesday, the morning after he announced his choice to leave.

“Great teammate and great friend,” Moore wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Go be great.”

Murphy and Moore connected for 798 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024 despite the senior receiver battling injuries for most of the season. They teamed up for one of the best plays of the season against Wake Forest, a 39-yard touchdown on the final play that cemented a 23-17 victory.

The walk-off touchdown will likely be Murphy’s final snap with the Blue Devils after he confirmed he wouldn’t play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Ole Miss.

“Always love on this end 6,” Rivers added from his own X account.

The third-year corner made the All-ACC First Team with 52 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and three interceptions as a junior.

Duke football hosts top-ranked transfer portal quarterback for a visit

The Duke Blue Devils lost quarterback Maalik Murphy to the transfer portal on Monday, but a potential replacement came to Durham on Tuesday.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] won’t return to Durham for the 2025 season, but head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his staff might have a lead on his potential replacement.

ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel reported that former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah scheduled a Tuesday visit with the Blue Devils, the first program he’s visited since entering the portal.

As of Tuesday morning, Mensah is 247Sports’ No. 3 overall transfer quarterback prospect. The redshirt freshman and former three-star prospect saw the field for the first time this season and looked remarkably productive, throwing for 2,723 yards and running for 132 more with 23 total touchdowns. He completed 65.9% of his passes and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt, only throwing six interceptions while tossing multiple touchdown passes in eight different games.

Mensah made waves ahead of this season when he beat out former Oregon Ducks quarterback Ty Thompson, a former top-100 prospect from the Class of 2021, for Tulane’s starting job. He guided Tulane to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

Will Maalik Murphy play for Duke in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl after transfer portal decision?

After the Monday reveal that Duke QB Maalik Murphy will enter the transfer portal, he confirmed he won’t play in the upcoming bowl game.

For the first time this season, the Blue Devils will have to start a quarterback other than [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

ESPN reporter Pete Thamel announced Murphy’s decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday night, and the senior writer confirmed Murphy would not play for Duke against Ole Miss on January 2.

The former Texas Longhorn threw for 2,933 yards and a program-record 26 passing touchdowns in his first season with the Blue Devils, completing 60.3% of his passes and averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. He was at his most productive at the end of the season, averaging 286.4 yards with 14 total touchdowns over his last five games.

The Blue Devils finished 14th out of 17 ACC teams in passing yards per attempt this season, but Murphy ended the year seventh among conference quarterbacks in yards and fourth in scoring throws. While he threw three interceptions against both Miami and Virginia Tech to end the year with 12 picks, he played clean football in four of the team’s eight ACC games.

Redshirt sophomore Henry Belin IV was the only other Duke player to throw a pass this season, completing his only pass against Northwestern in Week 2. He’ll serve as the top option against the Rebels as Duke seeks the second 10-win season in school history.

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy to enter the transfer portal again

In a stunning Monday night report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy will re-enter the transfer portal.

In a surprising development, it seems Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] will only spend one season in Durham.

ESPN reporter Pete Thamel reported on Monday night that Murphy would enter the transfer portal for the second time in two offseasons.

The redshirt sophomore spent his first two years with the Texas Longhorns before he transferred to Duke for the 2024 season. He started all 12 regular-season games for the Blue Devils, leading the team to nine victories and setting a single-season program record with 26 passing touchdowns. He and senior wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] connected for a 39-yard score on the final play against Wake Forest in Week 14, a walkoff touchdown that appears to be Murphy’s final snap in a Duke uniform.

Murphy also told Thamel he would not play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Duke’s postseason battle against the Ole Miss Rebels.

Grayson Loftis, who started several games for the Blue Devils in 2023, battled Murphy for the starting spot all offseason. With the starter’s departure, it appears Loftis and Henry Belin IV will be the primary quarterbacks against the Rebels.

Duke football draws the Ole Miss Rebels for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in January

The Duke Blue Devils are headed to Jacksonville for a battle with the Ole Miss Rebels in January’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

For the first time in program history, the Duke Blue Devils will play a bowl game in Jacksonville.

After the team’s 9-3 season under new head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], Duke drew the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl for a postseason battle against the Mississippi Rebels from the SEC.

The Blue Devils overcame three two-score fourth-quarter deficits in 2024, including a 20-point comeback against the North Carolina Tar Heels and a 14-point comeback against Wake Forest in the final game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] threw a program-record 26 touchdown passes, including a walk-off score to Jordan Moore on the final play against the Demon Deacons, and Duke swept UNC, Wake Forest, and NC State for the first time since 2013.

Ole Miss started the year with playoff aspirations under head coach Lane Kiffin, and a 5-1 start to the season kept the Rebels in the thick of the hunt. An overtime loss to the LSU Tigers and a stunning road loss to the Florida Gators knocked them down to 9-3, however, and even a late win over the Georgia Bulldogs couldn’t move them back into the field.

The bowl game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, January 2, and fans can watch on ESPN.

Eight Duke football stars, including wideout Jordan Moore, honored on All-ACC teams

The ACC included eight Duke Blue Devils on its all-conference team for the 2024 college football season, including star wideout Jordan Moore.

The ACC released its 2024 all-conference teams for the 2024 college football season on Tuesday, and eight Blue Devils earned a spot on one of the three squads.

Cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag], who finished the season with three interceptions, nine other deflections, and 52 total tackles, was the lone Duke football player on the First-Team squad, joining California’s Nohl Williams at the position. However, four Blue Devils made the Second-Team unit with three others on the Third-Team roster.

Offensive linemen Brian Parker II and Caleb Krings joined defensive tackle Kendy Charles and safety Terry Moore on the second team. Parker and Krings helped protect quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] all season, and the Blue Devils only surrendered 12 sacks as a team in 2024.

Charles, an offseason transfer from Liberty, finished with 49 total tackles, 7.0 of which resulted in a loss, with 2.0 sacks from the interior, and Moore tied Rivers with three interceptions on the season.

Wideouts [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag], both of whom surpassed 700 yards in the regular season, made the third team alongside linebacker Ozzie Nicholas.

Pancol, the Brian Piccolo Award recipient for the ACC this season, caught 55 passes for 741 yards and nine touchdowns after missing the entire 2023 season due to injury. His best game came in his final home game at Wallace Wade Stadium in Week 13 when he picked up 188 yards and scored three touchdowns on five catches against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Moore, who battled injury in the middle of the season, caught 50 passes for a team-leading 798 yards and seven scores. Nicholas paced the Blue Devils with 89 total tackles, and he forced turnovers on back-to-back plays against the Florida State Seminoles in Week 8.

Defensive end Wesley Williams, defensive tackle Aaron Hall, safety Jaylin Stinson, punter Kade Reynoldson, return man Que’Sean Brown, and linebackers Alex Howard and Tre Freeman all made the Honorable Mentions.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils on the USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank?

Check out where the Duke Blue Devils landed on the USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank after their 9-3 regular season.

The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t quite break into the top 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after their ninth regular-season win in Week 14, but USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg thinks head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] is leading a top-25 team.

Myerberg released his updated ranking of all 134 college football teams on Monday, and the Blue Devils crept up two spots to 22nd after their 23-17 comeback over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, one spot below the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Blue Devils don’t have a top-25 win on their resume, but if fans include their last-minute field goal to force overtime against Northwestern, Diaz and his team have come from behind in the fourth quarter four times in 2024. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] completed 16 of his 20 passes in the second half, running for a touchdown before launching a 39-yard scoring throw to Jordan Moore on the final play.

With Syracuse’s upset over Miami, the ACC title game race got thrown into chaos at the buzzer. After a 9-0 start to the season, the Hurricanes won’t even make the trip to Charlotte after a pair of late losses, instead crossing their fingers for an at-large College Football Playoff berth.

Myerberg slotted Miami at No. 16 in his updated rankings, a full ten spots behind the SMU Mustangs (No. 6) at the top of the conference. The Clemson Tigers (No. 17) will head to the title game despite three regular-season losses, but no other ACC team finished above Duke on Myerberg’s list.

Duke football closes in on the AP Poll Top 25 after Wake Forest win in Week 14

The Duke Blue Devils, after their nine-win regular season, almost made their way into the top 25 of the AP Poll on Sunday.

After three straight wins to close the 2024 regular season, the Duke Blue Devils nearly cracked the top 25 of the updated AP Poll on Sunday.

After only receiving six votes last week, leaving them as the unofficial No. 31 team in the rankings, Duke shuffled up to 28th thanks to 30 votes this week.

The Blue Devils appeared to be in danger in Winston-Salem on Saturday, dropping behind in-state rival Wake Forest 17-3 early in the third quarter after an inopportune fumble. However, quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] orchestrated three touchdown drives over the final 18 minutes for the comeback victory. On the final play of the game, he found senior wideout Jordan Moore for a 39-yard touchdown to clinch the 23-17 win.

Only four other ACC schools won nine games during the regular season, but each of the others ended up in this week’s top 25. The Syracuse Orange vaulted up to 23rd after a home upset of the Miami Hurricanes, who tumbled down to 14th and out of the conference title game with their second loss in three games.

The SMU Mustangs (No. 8) and Clemson Tigers (No. 18) will meet in Charlotte to decide the conference’s automatic berth into the College Football Playoff.

Duke football just misses top 25 in US LBM Coaches Poll after nine-win regular season

With their last-second win over Wake Forest cementing a 9-3 record, the Duke Blue Devils broke into the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Duke Blue Devils almost broke into the US LBM Coaches Poll on Sunday on the heels of their 23-17 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

With a 10-win season still on the table with a potential bowl victory, the Blue Devils fell behind their in-state rivals 17-3 early in the third quarter. However, Duke stormed back once again thanks to the second-half performance of quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag]. The former Texas Longhorn completed 16 of his last 20 passes for 153 yards with two total touchdowns, including the winning 39-yard pass to Jordan Moore on the final play.

The Blue Devils now have 39 votes in the coaches poll, leaving them in an unofficial 27th as the second-leading team in the Receiving Votes category.

Four ACC teams made the top 25, led by the SMU Mustangs (No. 7) after they put the finishing touches on an undefeated conference schedule with a 38-6 victory over California on Saturday. Instead of presumed favorite Miami, SMU will face the Clemson Tigers (No. 17) in the conference title game. The Hurricanes dropped to 14th after they lost a 42-38 shootout to Syracuse on the road, dropping to 10-2 with a worse conference record than Dabo Swinney’s program.

The Orange, also 9-3 thanks to the stunning victory, joined the bottom of the rankings at 25th.

Check out the complete US LBM Coaches Poll below.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 12-0 1,325 (53)
2 Texas Longhorns 11-1 1,272
3 Penn State Nittany Lions 11-1 1,192
4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-1 1,165
5 Georgia Bulldogs 10-2 1,104
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 1,025
7 SMU Mustangs 11-1 977
8 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-2 976
9 Indiana Hoosiers 11-1 895
10 Boise State Broncos 11-1 840
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-3 733
12 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-3 700
13 Arizona State Sun Devils 10-2 665
14 Miami Hurricanes 10-2 646
15 Ole Miss Rebels 9-3 638
16 Iowa State Cyclones 10-2 565
17 Clemson Tigers 9-3 457
18 BYU Cougars 10-2 419
19 UNLV Rebels 10-2 255
20 Missouri Tigers 9-3 229
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 9-3 225
22 Colorado Buffaloes 9-3 215
23 Army Black Knights 10-1 196
24 Memphis Tigers 10-2 187
25 Syracuse Orange 9-3 108

Dropped Out

No. 18 Tulane; No. 19 Texas A&M

Receiving Votes

Texas A&M 90; Duke 39; Tulane 37; Louisville 18; Kansas State 15; Louisiana 11; Michigan 2; Georgia Tech 2; Miami (OH) 1; Iowa 1