Maalik Murphy stayed as long as he could. There’s nothing more he’d like than to hold a clipboard and watch from the sidelines of the Ceasers Superdome and bide his time.

College football isn’t that kind. Neither are coaches offering scholarships to transfers hoping to start next fall.

Murphy, who spent two seasons with the Texas Longhorns, confirmed Thursday evening he has entered the transfer portal and will not be available for the Jan. 1 College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 2 Washington. Based on the 30-day transfer portal window closed after the national championship, timing told the main story.

“It’s nothing against Texas at all,” Murphy told ESPN on Wednesday. “I’m doing this purely for me and my future. In my eyes, I’ll always be a Longhorn and a part of this great team.”

Phrase it however you want: sad, harsh, cold, unsettling. Murphy was never walking away while having it all. He would either stick around through spring and be late to the party at his next home, or could secure the starting job heading into summer with a few more reps.

Now, the Longhorns must decide what’s best in case of injury. The hope is Quinn Ewers survives eight more quarters, and this becomes a moot point.

But say it doesn’t? Say Texas loses Ewers again, thus forcing Steve Sarkisian to turn elsewhere. Would he call upon Arch Manning, the future of Longhorn football?

Could he turn to Charles Wright, a former walk-on with less than a dozen reps under his belt?