Byron Murphy II is a junior defensive lineman for Texas who checks in at 308 pounds.
But don’t be fooled by his size or position listing. This young man from DeSoto, Texas is a certified playmaker. Back in September, he caught a touchdown pass in the Longhorns’ win over Wyoming. It would be fair to add fullback next to his name on the Texas roster.
On the biggest stage Texas has played on in more than a decade, the Longhorns called his number again on the offensive side of the ball.
Early in the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl against Washington in a first-and-goal situation, Murphy lined up at fullback, took the handoff from Quinn Ewers, plunged into a pile of bodies and fought his way into the endzone for a touchdown in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
— wow that was crazy (@CowardlyDoggo) January 2, 2024
And of course, with a big man touchdown, we get a big man celebration:
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) January 2, 2024
This isn’t the strangest thing we’ve seen in college football this season. Last month, we saw SMU’s long snapper recover his own snap for a touchdown, and Texas and Rutgers pull off fake tush-pushes. Back in September, in Division II football, we saw an offensive lineman throw a touchdown.
These are the weird and glorious plays that make us love college football. It’s only fitting to see one executed in one of the biggest games of the year.
