Although Marcus Murphy has two seasons of high school football left, he already is thinking about playing at the next level.
On Tuesday, the West Point High School football rising junior gave a verbal commitment to Mississippi State via Twitter.
“MSU is a great college to build a relationship with players and coaches,” Murphy said. “What stood out the most is their goal on winning.”
The four-star athlete said the biggest reason he committed to MSU is the program coach Dan Mullen has built in the last eight seasons. He is rated as the nation’s No. 14 athlete and the state’s No. 2 prospect by 247Sports.
Murphy is the third commitment in the 2018 class. He joins Holmes Community College defensive tackle Emmit Gooden and four-star Callaway High wide receiver Malik Heath. He is the second Golden Triangle area prospect to commit to MSU in the last week. Columbus High running back and 2017 prospect Kylin Hill committed to the Bulldogs last Wednesday.
Murphy tweeted he talked with friends and family before he chose MSU. But Murphy, who has received interest from Alabama and Ole Miss, will leave his recruiting open to other schools.
West Point coach Chris Chambless wasn’t surprised Murphy committed. He said Murphy has high aspirations for his final two years with the Green Wave.
“He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Chambless said. “I think it’s pretty smart he committed. He’ll have a lot of other offers, but he wants to get this process to where it’s not affecting the team or anybody else, including himself, his focus.”
Leading West Point to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North State championship game, Murphy played quarterback and running back as a sophomore. He rushed for 1,615 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also threw for 770 yards and nine touchdowns and had two receiving touchdowns.
Chambless believes Murphy has the ability to play multiple positions for the Bulldogs. He said Murphy will play quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and as a member of the secondary in the fall.
Murphy just wants to be on the field.
“I don’t know what position they would like me to play, but I’ll play any position they put me at,” Murphy said.
In addition to having SEC-caliber athleticism, Chambless said Murphy also has the desire and drive to compete at the highest level.
“He’s a very coachable kid,” Chambless said. “He’s always been one of those type guys where he wants to win, he’s a competitor, and he’s going to do what it takes for the team.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.