Five-star Alabama LB commit Shawn Murphy can't wait to join the Tide

Five-star Alabama commit Shawn Murphy has been watching his future team and is really excited to get down to Tuscaloosa. The Manassas (Va.) Unity Reed linebacker put on a show in his game this past Friday even though he team didn't come away with the win. Murphy has been in constant communication with the coaches and can't wait to suit up for the Crimson Tide.

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"It's going great," Murphy said. "It's going perfectly fine. I'm excited to get there. I'm excited to graduate early, contribute to the team, and make my mark.

"I talked to coach Golding," he said. "He is my dude. We have a really good relationship. Our bond is really good. Coach Sal and I have a really good bond too. We try and call each other once or twice a week to keep the connection growing. I tried to text a couple players and make sure they keep their heads up.

"Them working as a unit is a big part of it and their defense is really good," said Murphy. "I know they had a tough loss against Texas A&M but I know they'll always pick it up. I know they have that type of intensity and perseverance and passion to get past that. I have really good faith in the team and I love the team.

"The coaches just tell me to keep working," he said, "They see me as a MIKE so I can call the plays and I have experience calling the plays already so they're excited about that. I'm going to have an opportunity to play, so I can call the plays and all that.

"I want to say my official visit, I think it's in November, is when I'll be there next," Murphy said. "I want to get down there later on in October too because they're having a home game. It just all depends on my ride and everything."

On who he is recruiting- "I want Earl Little," he said. "I'm calling out Earl Little. I want him because I know he can contribute to this defense. I'm excited about him. I've been in his ear trying to get him down here."

Needless to say, Murphy is all in with the Tide and he'd like to bring some additional playmakers with him. As a linebacker, Murphy is coming along nicely. He is definitely more athletic than last season and, even made a few nice plays in coverage on Friday. That's not something he did well last season but we saw the improvement this past offseason. There were a few occasions he wasn't able to get off blocks quick enough, particularly when the offense called runs to the outside. Still, Murphy is a devastating hitter that blitzes well and can make plays coming downhill with the best of them. He made the first tackle of the game on the kickoff team and even blocked two extra points on Friday. Check out the highlights from his game above.