Florida State transfer LB Shawn Murphy commits to South Carolina

Former Florida State linebacker Shawn Murphy has committed to South Carolina via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Murphy should have two years of eligibility after appearing in just four games in his lone season with the Seminoles after transferring in from Alabama last offseason.

Murphy recorded 13 tackles in total and a season-high of five in the finale against in-state rival Florida. Injuries were a problem for the linebacker earlier in the season.

Murphy spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa and played in 18 total games. However, he was able to take a redshirt season and maintain a year of eligibility. Five games were played during the 2022 season but since one was the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State, it did not count against his four-game maximum.

When head coach Nick Saban retired, Shawn Murphy decided to enter the portal. The original hope was for him to be a big contributor for Florida State’s defense, a unit needing some replacements following their great 2023 campaign.

“I just wanted to come where I could make an impact and be a great teammate,” Murphy said on his transfer to Florida State before the season began. “And just find a new team to help go to the next level.”

Unfortunately, the plan did not come to fruition and Murphy entered his name in the transfer portal once again. Now, Murphy will look to reach his potential with head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks.

Murphy played high school football at Manassas (VA) Unity Reed, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 65 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Murphy is the eighth player Florida State has added via the transfer portal this offseason. The team has also lost 19 players to the transfer portal. Nonetheless, FSU currently sits at No. 17 in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

The transfer portal officially opened Dec. 7 and will remain open until Dec. 28, though players on teams still playing in the postseason will get an additional five-day window to enter the portal after their seasons end.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

On3’s Alex Byington also contributed to this report.