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UT's Byron Murphy II gets notoriety for efforts in weight room and on the field

Steve Habelby: Steve Habel08/15/23stevehabel
Byron Murphy
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Texas junior defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has been one of the most talked about Longhorns since Spring camp and continues to receive positive notoriety, the latest of which came Tuesday from sportswriter Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

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Feldman, in a post that was eventually published on the Texas Football page, named Murphy to his 2023 Freaks List, which highlights players who have produced outstanding performances on the field or in the weight room.

Murphy, who goes at 6-foot-1 and 318 pounds, was cited by Feldman as lifting a team-best 455 pounds in the front squat and ripping off a 375-pound power clean and claims Murphy could have lifted more if not shut down by Texas director of football performance Torre Becton. 

Feldman also reports that Murphy, who he calls a “terror in the trenches,” has been clocked by GPS running at 18 miles per hour.

“The Longhorns have definitely gotten a lot better in the trenches on (coach) Steve Sarkisian’s watch and (Murphy) is a good example of why,” Feldman wrote. 

Murphy had 26 tackles last year, nine of them solo, and added three tackles for loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries while playing in all 13 games as a key backup in 2022. He was named honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2021 after playing in 12 games with one start and registering 15 tackles (10 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

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Murphy is expected to take over one of the interior defensive line spots in 2023 and is considered one of the Longhorns’ most promising players. Texas’ defensive line has been ranked the best in the Big 12 Conference by Inside Texas contributor Paul Wadlington.

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