STAFFORD, Tex. – 2019 defensive tackle Lloyd Murray made headlines earlier this year when he stepped away from an early commitment to Florida State after only a little more than just two months.

Since the end of last season, he’s accumulated a respectable list of offers from other programs, but he said that the Seminoles are still very much in the picture. Such was evidenced with some of his fashion choices at his recent appearance at the Mike Vick V7 Playmakers Showcase event on July 9.

“They don’t have to do much,” he said. “I was committed to them once, so things can change right back. Coach (Jimbo) Fisher has stayed on me, Coach (Tim) Brewster is still on me, you can see I came out here with the gloves, so I still love them.”

Murray said that even though programs from around the country have been looking to lure him away from his home state, several local programs have been at the forefront of his recruitment more recently. Murray said that he will be at Baylor’s upcoming July 22 camp, and even though Texas has yet to offer, the Longhorns are effectively his top option.

On Baylor

“They’re family,” he said. “My cousin, Josh Fleeks, has been committed to them and he tells me all the time about Baylor. Coach (Joey) McGuire, he was at Cedar Hill last season and I know him personally, so it feels like there is just a lot of family up there.”

“Josh said that family-wise, he wanted to stay around Coach McGuire,” he said. “He’s like his dad, and he tells me all the time, ‘family, family, family’ and Coach (Elijah) Robinson, Coach E-Rob, he’s turned walk-ons into first-round picks so they’re family up there.”

On Texas

“If I had to make a Top 3, they would be number one right now,” he said. “Just because of the way they talk to me, Coach (Oscar) Giles wants me there real, real bad. I like Texas as a whole and they’re going to be a great team this upcoming season for sure.”

“Coach Giles is the coach that I have the best relationship with for sure,” he said. “With Texas, I like it so much I’ve been down there four times already. So the campus, the football team, the people in general – the fan base, Texas is one-of-a-kind.”

Murray said that having already made one commitment that didn’t last, that he’s going to take his time before making his next one.

“I would say going into my senior year,” he said of when he’d like to make his next decision. “I’m going to wait a minute, let everything rest, keep going on visits and getting more offers.”

After essentially naming Texas as his leader, he’ll surely be waiting for that offer this season. In the meantime, Baylor could continue to grow in favor with Murray, as his relationships with Fleeks and several of the coaches should give the Bears an opportunity to stay more involved with him than a more distant team like Florida State.