Texas QB Maalik Murphy chaotic December college football calendar

Texas QB Maalik Murphy won't be with the Longhorns at the Sugar Bowl and is entering the transfer portal.

The college football calendar is a bit of a mess, and it's affecting players like Texas QB Maalik Murphy. If it were up to him, he'd be playing with the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff, but instead, he's entering the transfer portal. This decision isn't easy for Murphy, especially as Texas is just two wins away from a national title.

The timing of the transfer portal and the early signing period is complicating things for players like Murphy. The transfer portal opened on Dec. 4, and many players are eager to find new schools quickly so they can participate in spring practices. This means that they're opting out of bowl games to focus on their future.

The early signing period was implemented before the transfer portal and NCAA's one-time immediate transfer rules were a reality, and now it's causing chaos in college football. There are no substantive discussions about changing the way December is currently structured, but perhaps moving the early signing period back could be a solution. This would give players more time to transfer and potentially be in uniform for their team's bowl games. It might also lead to fewer players opting out of bowl games ahead of transfers.

It's clear that the current system isn't working for players like Murphy, and something needs to change. The status quo is suboptimal, and it negatively affects players who are caught between trying to do what's best for themselves while also being a great teammate.