1/15/2024 football Edit

Florida State adds Alabama transfer LB Shawn Murphy

Nick Carlisle • TheOsceola

Writer

The Seminoles have found their portal linebacker.

After visiting Florida State on Monday, Alabama transfer linebacker Shawn Murphy committed to the Seminoles later that evening. Murphy fills a huge need for the Seminoles, who lost both starters in Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune to eligibility.

As a former Rivals100 member, Murphy was ranked as the second best linebacker in the 2022 class and was considered the 49th best prospect in the country by Rivals at the time. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, the former Manassas (Va.) Unity Reed linebacker brings explosiveness and speed to a young linebacker corps.

Murphy saw action in all 13 games this past season, earning three tackles and contributing on special teams.

“I’m excited about the addition of Shawn to our program and the potential he brings to the Nole Family," FSU coach Mike Norvell said in a statement on Friday. "He has great size, movements and toughness at the linebacker position. Shawn has all the traits to be a great player and will make a tremendous impact to our team on and off the field.”

Murphy joins the Seminoles with three years of eligibility remaining and is the fifth former Alabama player to commit to Florida State in the early transfer window. Murphy joins DB Earl Little II, OG Terrence Ferguson, WR Malik Benson and RB Roydell Williams as former Crimson Tide players to make their way to Tallahassee.

In addition to those four, he joins a top 10 portal class that contains: QB DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State), RB/Athlete Jaylin Lucas (Indiana), WR Jalen Brown (LSU), DE Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia), DE Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia), DE Sione Lolohea (Oregon State), DT Grady Kelly (Colorado State), DB Davonte Brown (Miami) and OG Richie Leonard (Florida).