Byron Murphy ahead of an important 2023: "I've got a bigger role this year obviously"
Many of the accolades for “top this” or “best that” on the Texas football defense arguably belong to junior defensive tackle Byron Murphy. He might be the most disruptive player not just in the Longhorn defensive front, but on Pete Kwiatkowski‘s entire side of the ball.
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Murphy also believes there are a few more titles that belong to him.
Strongest?
“I think it’s me,” Murphy said Thursday.
Most hyped? That one is not of much of much importance for No. 90.
“I’m ready, but right now I’m not really worried about the hype,” Murphy said. “I’m focused on winning and helping my team win. That’s really all that matters to me.”
Someone who has stepped up as a leader?
“Me, of course,” Murphy said. “I’m trying to be more vocal. Last year, I wasn’t. But this year, I’m trying to be more vocal. I’ve got a bigger role obviously this year.”
Murphy will be of immense importance to the Longhorns in 2023. Without Moro Ojomo or Keondre Coburn on the squad, Murphy will be asked to be one of the top players for Texas on a week-to-week basis and create havoc for opposing offenses.
A junior from DeSoto who arrived at Texas with an associate’s degree, Murphy brings a mature, focused demeanor to the roster as his words illustrate. That said, he also knows when to lighten things up.
Murphy received nine snaps last season as a goal-line fullback, a spot he had familiarity with during his time growing up in the game.
“I played running back since I was five all the way to ninth grade,” Murphy said. “That’s when I stopped playing running back.”
Why did that happen?
“I ate myself out of it,” Murphy said of the position where his heart is at.
He’ll be able to assist the Longhorn defense on 4th-and-short, but his work at defensive tackle will be what Bo Davis needs most from him on fall Saturdays.
Last season, Pro Football Focus’ season-long defensive grade for Murphy was 82.8, good for second on the team behind Ojomo. He had a grade of 83.9 in run defense and a 75.4 mark in pass-rush across 393 total defensive snaps.
Last season, Murphy recorded 26 tackles with 3.0 for loss and a sack. That followed a debut campaign in 2021 where he had 15 tackles with 3.5 for loss and two sacks.
In year three under Kwiatkowski and Steve Sarkisian, Murphy believes he can elevate his game, as can his teammates, thanks to familiarity with their down-to-down responsibilities.
“I feel like we, as a team, all understand Sark’s philosophy,” Murphy said. “We get it now. We know what it takes. We know what it takes to win. The past few seasons, we’ve been through a lot of stuff. We know what it takes. We know what he wants from us. Now we’ve got to deliver it.”
All that has Murphy confident that his team is in line for a big 2023.
“I feel like it’s us that’s going to stop ourselves,” Murphy said. “It’s us. We’ve got everything we need, all the pieces on offense and on the defensive side of the ball. It’s on us.”
