Transfer Portal Bio Blast: Chris Murray

The winter transfer portal window officially opened on Monday. We’ve seen some heavy player movement and are expecting more over the next few days. Teams are working rapidly to get targets on campus for visits over the next few weeks to close these fast-paced recruitments.

Kentucky has a visit scheduled with a former Big 12 EDGE.

Chris Murray was a class of 2021 signee who began his career at TCU. After one season in Fort Worth, the edge rusher transferred to Sam Houston and spent the last three seasons in Huntsville. Could the Lonestar State native help Kentucky fill a huge need at EDGE?

KSR’s Transfer Bio Blast takes a closer look at the C-USA transfer who will see two SEC programs this week with his former TCU teammate.

Marshall transfer LB Landyn Watson and Sam Houston transfer DL Chris Murray are visiting Mississippi State tomorrow and also planning to visit Kentucky, their agent @IanJohnsonAce told ESPN.

Plenty of SEC interest right now for the two former TCU transfers. pic.twitter.com/kPFqP4AX2B

— Max Olson (@max_olson) December 10, 2024

Former four-star recruit

Chris Murray was a high school standout at Wichita Falls (Texas) Hirschi. The class of 2021 product earned second-team all-state honors as a junior (61 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 13 sacks) and that led to a strong recruiting ranking. Murray was a consensus top-300 prospect and earned a four-star ranking.

Oklahoma and Texas Tech hosted Murray on official visits but the prospect decided to end his recruitment in the spring of his junior year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prospect committed to TCU and stayed true to that commitment.

However, the EDGE player would last just one season in Fort Worth. Murray entered the transfer portal after taking a redshirt in the Big 12 and landed at Sam Houston.

Development at Sam Houston

Chris Murray arrived at Sam Houston to play for head coach K.C. Keeler as the Bearkats were transitioning from FCS to FBS. As a redshirt freshman, Murray played only 65 defensive snaps across five games. That number increased to 213 snaps across nine games as a redshirt sophomore.

Murray then took a big lead as a redshirt junior in 2024.

The EDGE player finished the season with career highs in snaps (396), pressures (31), tackles (34), tackles for loss (12), sacks (5.5), and forced fumbles (two). Murray earned first-team All-CUSA honors for his big season.

Congrats to all of our All-CUSA Bearkats 👏 👏 #EatEmUpKats pic.twitter.com/UiJGtPHCtW

— Sam Houston Football (@BearkatsFB) December 10, 2024

Murray went from a seldom used player to one of the best defensive players in the C-USA over three years at Sam Houston. That development is giving him another shot at playing in a power conference.

Potential Kentucky vs. Mississippi State battle

Chris Murray and Marshall linebacker transfer Landyn Watson have not been on the same team since 2021. Both were members of the same signing class at TCU and could be looking to reunite.

Murray and Watson share the same agent and will both me making trips to see Mississippi State and Kentucky to begin the recruiting process. Is this going to be a package deal?

Do not be surprised if the Bulldogs or Wildcats come out as the winner in both of these recruitments. Kentucky will get to make their pitch second after a trip to Starkville is completed on Wednesday.