Byron Murphy II confronts reality of Texas Longhorns’ season: “I watched us go from trash to being a great team.” 

When the Texas Longhorns football program comes to mind, their reputation for being one of the most accomplished collegiate football programs in history is often the first thought.

In 2005, their most recent national title was won when Vince Young led them to a close victory over USC in the Rose Bowl, bringing their total to four national titles.

Despite their early success, the Texas Longhorns football program has not been able to replicate it in recent years. After winning their 2005 title, the Longhorns went on to have four consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins. However, in 2010, they experienced their first losing season (5-7) since 1997.

Despite a challenging start to his tenure, Steve Sarkisian has made a significant impact since taking over as head coach of the team in 2021, following in the footsteps of Tom Herman. While their first season under Sarkisian resulted in a disappointing 5-7 record, the team has steadily improved over the past two years, even earning a spot in the College Football Playoffs. However, their playoff run was cut short by a 37-31 loss to the Washington Huskies.

He discussed the significance of restoring Texas football to its identity as a top-tier football program.

Despite some initial hesitation, Murphy II revealed that the team eventually embraced Sarkisian’s system, resulting in a successful 2023-2024 season.

“It felt great ’cause I’ve watched us go from trash to being a great team,”said Murphy II. “My freshman year, we started 5-7, next year 8-4, then end up making it to the college football playoffs.

“Just being able to do that, it took a lot on the field, off the field, in the locker room, it took all of us, including the staff. I feel like Sark and his staff from my freshman to my junior year, they changed the narrative.

“At first, when he first got here, I don’t [think] anyone understood his way or his message. I don’t think anybody understood it, but as the years went on, everyone started buying in and started to listen, and everything he was preaching started to show.

“Everybody bought in. Everyone was in the same page, and that’s why we got that far. Nobody expected us to do that, so again, really, truthfully I’m blessed to be a part of that and bringing the Big 12 back. We haven’t won since ’09, so being a part of that history means a lot.”

This is the link for the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ggRbh5N-Y

Texas DL Byron Murphy II Reflects on Winning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year

Last season, Byron Murphy II was a member of one of the last four teams in college football that vied for a national championship.

After finishing his third year of college, he made the choice to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

During his time at Texas, he achieved a successful career. In the most recent season, he played in 14 games as an interior defensive lineman and recorded a total of 29 tackles and five sacks. His impressive performance and impact on the field led to him being recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman Player of the Year and earning a spot on the First-Team All-Big 12.

Murphy II expressed that winning the Big 12 Defensive Lineman Player of the Year felt amazing, as it showed that his dedication and efforts during the off-season had been recognized.

“It felt great because first off, just knowing the amount of work I put in when nobody was watching in the off-season, in the spring, summer, fall camps, so just knowing the work I put in and how hard I came each and every day to that building just ready to work on the field and off the field and just giving my all.”

“I was 100% committed to what I was doing, so I really appreciate that a lot because it shows me that hard work pays off, and it shows me that anything is possible and that the sky is the limit. So I’m really blessed to receive all them awards and was able to do the things I was able to do on the field.”

With less than a month remaining until the 2024 NFL Draft, Murphy II is deep in preparation. It is a near certainty that he will be chosen in the first round, with experts predicting he will likely be selected in the middle of the round.

Who do you believe will choose the Texas Longhorn product?