Clemson star defensive end Myles Murphy is turning pro and will not play for the Tigers in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee, coach Dabo Swinney announced Tuesday. Murphy earned first-team All-ACC honors as a junior this season while amassing 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for a unit that ranked in the top 25 nationally for total defense and scoring defense.
“Easy conversation,” Swinney told reporters. “I think he contemplated things, whether or not he was going to come back or go pro. And then whether or not he was going to play in the game. He didn’t make a decision on a whim. He’s a very deep guy and has a lot of support around him. Comes from a great family. We support the decision and keep moving. He’s a great player and will be a high-draft pick and think he’ll test well and be a great player for a long time.”
Murphy is on track to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after delivering on the substantial hype that he generated as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2020. The Marietta, Georgia, native made an immediate impact with 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as a true freshman in 2020 before posting career highs with 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in just 10 games last season.
After another solid season in 2022, Murphy will leave Clemson with 116 career tackles and 18.5 sacks. He also forced six fumbles and broke up five passes.
Murphy’s NFL Draft stock
Murphy could be among the first defensive players off the board in next year’s draft after putting together three consecutive productive seasons before his 21st birthday. CBS Sports NFL Draft writer Ryan Wilson projects Murphy as the No. 4 overall pick to the Detroit Lions in his most-recent mock draft.
“Murphy won’t be 21 until next spring and while we’d like to see him play with more consistency … he won’t be 21 until next spring,” Wilson wrote. “On top of that, when he’s on, he’s hard to stop, which makes him such an interesting prospect.”
Fellow draft writers Chris Trapasso and Josh Edawards also think highly of Murphy, with Trapasso projecting him to go No. 5 to the Philadelphia Eagles and Edwards pegging Murphy at No. 6 to the Carolina Panthers.
Impact on Clemson
Losing such a disruptive member of its front seven before a top-10 bowl showdown is far from ideal for Clemson, but Swinney seemed to anticipate the possibility.
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