Jared Cohen
Brophy’s Connor Murphy waited all the way until Signing Day to make his announcement and in the end, he is confident it is the right one.
The 2016 “functional strength training” defensive end/outside linebacker announced Wednesday that he is headed to the Coast and will suit up for the Trojans of USC.
“USC is obviously good at football but the degree from USC is huge for me,” said Murphy. “The alumni support will set me up for my future.”
The Trojans are coming off a tumultuous season which saw them fire their head coach Steve Sarkisian in the middle of the season. Clay Helton took over and was eventually named the man in charge going forward. Murphy grew a great connection with the new USC staff during his recruitment.
“I love the new staff,” he stated. “I am a huge fan of Clancy Pendergast (USC’s new defensive coordinator). The first couple years they plan to use me as a true outside linebacker and as I continue to get older and grow, they plan to move me to defensive end later on.”
Murphy chose USC over Oregon, Michigan, Arizona State and Alabama who were the others he listed in his top five. Many believed that Michigan would be the one to beat with Jim Harbaugh’s ties to the family as his older brother Trent played for him at Stanford. Harbaugh once babysat for Connor when he was little and recruiting Trent and just a few weeks over, had a sleep over with the coach.
“Michigan was a close second,” he mentioned. “It was really awkward making the phone call to Coach Harbaugh but he understood and was supportive.”
In the end, Murphy took his time, went on all five of his visits and it was USC that stayed on his mind in the end.
“On my official visit to USC, I felt like I didn’t want to go home,” stated Murphy. “I didn’t feel that way on any other visit.”
Murphy is the lone USC commit from Arizona for the class of 2016 and the first Trojan signee out of high school from the state since Cyrus Hobbi out of Saguaro in 2011.
