Byron Murphy II Delivers Another Statement Performance, Continuing His Rise From DeSoto to the NFL

SEATTLE — Byron Murphy II continues to look like the kind of player who can change a
football game from the middle of the defensive line.

After another impressive performance for the Seattle Seahawks, Murphy is showing why
he’s known for his power, quickness and relentlessness, which has defined his football
journey. The former DeSoto standout has established himself as an important piece of
Seattle’s defense, and his latest showing was another reminder of why the Seahawks
selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

For North Texas football fans, however, Murphy’s emergence is hardly a surprise.

His story began at DeSoto High School, where he developed into one of the state’s most
disruptive defensive linemen. As a senior, Murphy recorded 79 tackles, 22 tackles for loss
and 14 sacks, helping DeSoto finish 10-2 and reach the Class 6A Division I playoffs.

That production earned Murphy plenty of attention from college programs, eventually
leading him to Austin.

From DeSoto to the Forty Acres

Murphy chose the University of Texas, and his three seasons with the Longhorns
transformed him from a promising Texas high school prospect into an NFL-caliber
defensive lineman.

While at the University of Texas, he finished his college career with 70 tackles, 15 tackles
for loss and eight sacks. His junior season in 2023 was the breakout campaign that put
him firmly on the national radar.

Murphy recorded 29 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s and 5 sacks that season, while earning first-team
All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year recognition.

Fittingly, Murphy’s college career included a couple of offensive moments, too. He scored
a receiving touchdown against Wyoming and added a rushing touchdown against
Washington in the Sugar Bowl, making him the only Texas defensive lineman in program
history to score two offensive touchdowns.

But it was his ability to disrupt opposing offenses that ultimately made him a first-round
pick.

The DeSoto Connection Still Matters

Murphy’s journey is particularly meaningful for DeSoto because he represents another
example of the program producing elite defensive talent.

At DeSoto, he wasn’t simply a talented player. He was a captain and a centerpiece of a
defense that consistently gave opposing offenses problems. His high school production
included 14 sacks as a senior, while his career earned him all-state recognition and
multiple all-district honors.

Now, those same traits are showing up on Sundays, and the stage is considerably bigger.

Murphy has brought the physicality he developed in Texas to Seattle, where his ability to
win at the line of scrimmage has made him an increasingly important part of the Seahawks’
defensive identity.

For anyone who watched him at DeSoto or during his time wearing the burnt orange, his
NFL success feels like the next chapter of a story that started long before the draft.

A Texas Star Making His Mark in Seattle

What makes Murphy’s latest performance so impressive isn’t simply the statistics.

It’s the way he plays.

He brings an explosive first step, tremendous leverage and the willingness to fight through
blocks. At his best, Murphy can collapse the pocket from the interior, disrupt running lanes
and force quarterbacks to speed up their decisions.

Those qualities were evident during his final season at Texas, when he became one of the
nation’s most disruptive interior defensive linemen. Seattle clearly saw that potential when
it made Murphy the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Now, the former DeSoto Eagle is showing NFL fans what Texas fans already knew.