Shawn Murphy’s mission: Health, development, and a big role at South Carolina
It’s go time for new South Carolina linebacker Shawn Murphy.
Now a redshirt junior, the former blue-chipper from Manassas, Va. joins a Gamecocks linebacking corps replacing its top three players while Murphy simultaneously hopes to take the next step in his development as a player.
“I know one of the main things I was looking for was to be developed and to have a great culture with great people,” Murphy recently in a Gamecock Club Hour interview on 107.5 The Game. “And I think South Carolina really embodied all those factors. There is also opportunity there, and I was just happy with what I saw on my official visit—just talking to all the coaches. The staff, how intentional they are, and how everything is the same way I saw it when I first visited them. I think that was very important to me in making the decision.”
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder started his college career playing for Nick Saban at Alabama, joining the Tide as the No. 6 linebacker and No. 65 overall prospect in the class of 2022.
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Murphy played in all 13 games tallying three tackles while working on special teams and as a reserve defender.
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But after Saban’s sudden retirement, Murphy transferred to Florida State, which was at the time fresh off an undefeated regular season.
While an offseason injury slowed his progress, Murphy played in the Seminoles’ final four games, collecting 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.
After reentering the transfer portal and joining South Carolina last month, Murphy hopes to unlock more of his massive potential in Clayton White’s defensive scheme where he should immediately enter the rotation.
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“He’s very aggressive with his linebackers and his defense as a whole,” Murphy said. “And he kind of lets his players play ball, and I really like that. Another thing I noticed was he has a lot of things that could be built around the team he has. He has a lot of tools to be able to use, and I feel like it’s going to be really hard for people not to fit in this scheme. I think I could fit a lot of things he does, and that’s what made it real easy to decide here as well.”
With two years of eligibility left, Murphy knows it’s time to take on a bigger role.
The first step? Staying healthy after a hamstring injury nearly derailed his entire season in Tallahassee.
“I think the biggest thing for me is, one, focusing on staying healthy, taking care of my body, and doing a lot of prehab and rehab,” Murphy said. “Even when my body’s feeling great, I think that’s the best time to really prep your body for everything you’re doing. I think that’s very important.
“But another thing is just focus—just focus on myself. Stack days, worry about the little things, improve the little things, and just learn the knowledge. Learn the language they speak and play my best ball. That’s it. Just connect with people as much as I can, give as much knowledge as I can, and take in as much knowledge as I can. Nothing crazy—just do the little things.”
Murphy will get his first opportunity to show he’s ready to move into a bigger role next month when the Gamecocks begin spring practice.
