Marcus Murphy announces he's turning focus to 2021 NFL Draft

When safety Marcus Murphy opted out of the remainder of Mississippi State's season last month, there was question as to whether or not the junior would return to the Bulldogs in 2021. On Friday, Murphy provided the answer as he announced on social media that he is turning his full attention towards preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Father God, I’m forever thankful for everything 🙏🏾 #LongLiveMamaDee🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/drXzz6mWym
— Marcus Murphy (@_2ERA_) December 11, 2020

"Above all, I want to thank God for the blessings in my life and for bringing me to this day. I have been dreaming of this since I first started playing the game," Murphy posted. "I want to give a special thank you to Coach (Jason) Washington, Coach (Tony) Hughes, Coach (Zach) Arnett, all my current and former coaches at MSU, and all my coaches back home. You have each helped shape me into the athlete and man I am today. Last but not least, I would like to thank my mom. Being raised by a strong independent woman taught me so much about life and the importance of working hard for what you want. She was and continues to be my rock and my guiding light. To the rest of my family, thank you for your love, support and encouragement. I hope to continue making you proud. While I will always cherish the years that I have spent playing football with my brothers at Mississippi State University, for the greatest fans in college football, I have decided to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft."

Murphy spent three seasons with MSU. The West Point, Mississippi, native started the first six games this year prior to opting out following the Bulldogs' win over Vanderbilt.

Murphy's Mississippi State career was riddled with ups and downs on and off the field. He missed eight games in 2019 due to a suspension for violation of team rules. The previous January, Murphy lost his mother unexpectedly.

Also, Murphy's three-year-old son, Mason, was born with a genetic abnormality. It's something Murphy constantly has had on his mind the last several years. (FOR MORE ON MASON AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MARCUS, CLICK HERE)

Through it all, Murphy had bright moments as a Bulldog. In 23 games, he totaled 67 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and had a pair of interceptions.

Still, with all the bumps in Murphy's road, he seemingly never reached the ceiling of his potential in Starkville. He'll now look to do so as he pursues his NFL dreams.

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