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2022 LB Shawn Murphy Announces Top 5; Gators Make The Cut

Unity Reed linebacker Shawn Murphy includes the Florida Gators in his top five.

Brandon Carroll

Already landing Shemar James and finding themselves in the top six of EJ Lightsey, the future of the Florida Gators linebacker corps has a chance to be considerably bolstered with speed and athleticism in 2022. 

Continuing forward with their momentum, Florida was named to Unity Reed (Manassas, Va.) priority linebacker Shawn Murphy top five schools list on Saturday night.

Alongside Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and Penn State, Florida made the cut for Murphy, keeping their chances of adding two or more blue-chip prospects to the linebacker room. Murphy took an unofficial visit to Florida in early June, shortly after the dead period was lifted.

As a versatile piece that excels in the box against the run as well as in one on one coverage against faster wide receivers, Murphy is arguably the best off-ball prospect the class has to offer. Sporting a promising frame with length to make plays on the ball and command a wide range when playing underneath in coverage, Murphy's ceiling is high, exemplified by his esteemed offer sheet.

Prioritizing the connection he has developed with the coach he will be directly playing for at the next level, the remainder of Murphy’s recruitment rests on the shoulders of Christian Robinson, a worthy man for the task.

“I want to see how a coach is coaching me, if a coach is real or not, if the coach can coach in a way that I can respond to and collect all the information I need," Murphy told AllGators at the Under Armour Future 50 camp. All [of those] factors go into it.”

Without a commitment date set, Murphy will take his time to mull over the five options in an effort to make his best decision for his football career at the college level and beyond. As for now, Florida sits evenly with its competition or Murphy with an opportunity to make further headway for another top linebacker prospect in the 2022 cycle.

Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

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Brandon Carroll
BRANDON CARROLL

Brandon Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Florida. He serves as the lead reporter for the Florida Gators FanNation-Sports Illustrated website, covering football, basketball and recruiting. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys listening to music, playing flag football and basketball, spending time with his friends and family, and watching an array of television shows. Follow him on Twitter @itsbcarroll.

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