The two quarterbacks competing for the starting job at Duke said they are pushing each other to get better — and having fun in the process.
Quarterbacks Maalik Murphy, a transfer from the University of Texas, and Grayson Loftis spoke about their relationship during the 2024 ACC Kickoff Wednesday in Charlotte.
Murphy discussed the challenges and excitement of transitioning to a new program. Despite the difficulties, he’s optimistic about the upcoming season and his new teammates.
Duke opens the season on Aug. 30, at home against Elon University, under new head coach Manny Diaz.
“I couldn’t ask for a better place,” Murphy said. “I’ve had a great time here the past seven months. I can’t wait to see what we do this season.”
Murphy, who led Texas to wins over Brigham Young and Kansas State last year, spoke of his friendship with Loftis, who started at the end of last year for the Blue Devils. He explained how their dynamic has shaped his development in the midst of their quarterback battle.
“Honestly, I couldn’t ask for Grayson to be any better of a person, kind of like a partner to work with,” he said.
Loftis, reflecting on his rapid growth and responsibilities from last season, echoed Murphy’s sentiments.
He talked about the importance of learning from experienced teammates, saying he “didn’t know how to be a college quarterback” when he started playing.
“Being in a room with guys like Henry and Riley who had starts, snaps in big-time games, I learned the value of asking questions, being able to talk to veterans and guys who had done it before, [and] really figure out how to do my process,” Loftis said. “Going into this year, building that foundation to be able to grow off my processes and the questions I can ask to better myself as a player.”
Both Loftis and Murphy highlighted the camaraderie between them, which they said has improved their performances.
“I think it all just comes natural,” Loftis said. “I think from the first moment when we introduced ourselves in our meeting room, it was all about us having a good chemistry. We hit it off right there. Just the ability to be able to joke around, crack jokes with the guy, push yourself to be the best player, push the other guy to be the best player in an informal way. Have fun while you’re doing it. You don’t realize you’re getting better. You’re just out having fun with a buddy at practice.”
Stinson tested the transfer portal, but is happy he stayed
Blue Devils safety Jaylen Stinson, who also spoke at the ACC Kickoff event, faced a critical decision in the offseason, testing the transfer portal before deciding to stay at Duke.
He said his confidence in Diaz’s vision and the strong culture in the locker room played a significant role in his decision.
“He’s a standup guy,” Stinson said of Diaz, who replaced Mike Elko after he was hired at Texas A&M. “We all had doubt. The first day he made it here, he called us up personally. That meant a lot for me. At that time, being my last year, I’m not sure where I’m going to be, he cleared a few things up with me. I knew he had the best interest in me.”
Stinson will be motivated this upcoming season by his proximity to a career milestone of 300 tackles. On Wednesday, he discussed his drive to improve and achieve more on the field.
“It makes me very hungry,” Stinson said. “It should be less than that, just looking at my film from last year I left a lot on the table. That’s one thing I talked to Manny about. He was honest, he watched film on me, he knew I left a lot on the table. ... He’s going to help me perfect my game and do the little things to make that happen.”
Stinson, a redshirt senior, emphasized the importance of veteran leadership on the team. Especially considering the coaching turnover this past offseason, several players cited this leadership as instrumental in fostering a competitive and supportive environment.
“It was very important,” he said. “I know coach talked a lot about the experience. It’s always great playing with other experienced players who played in big games that you know you can call on and they’ll make a play because they’ve done it before.”
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