Sunshine State FB has big list

Junior to Watch: Taylor Murray

School: Nease High School, St. Augustine, Fla.

Position: Fullback/Inside Linebacker

Size and speed: Murray is 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds. He runs the 40 in 4.58 seconds and possesses a 275-pound bench press.

Honors: Murray was named first-team all-county and offensive back of the year as a junior.

Statistics: He carried the ball 130 times for 710 yards and five touchdowns while catching 14 passes for 235 yards.

Favorite Schools: An SEC trio – Ole Miss, Auburn and Georgia – top his early list of favorites.

Skinny: “I pretty much do it all as a fullback,” Murray said. “We had a lot of single-back formations, so I have to carry it, block and catch the ball. I pride myself in being well-rounded. Some people think I’d make a good linebacker, too, but I may be too short. You don’t see too many 5-11 linebackers anymore.”

He hopes that versatility hopes grab the attention of some of the schools showing early interest.

“I’ve had letters from 18 different schools in the last week,” he said. “Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia, USF, Arkansas, Duke, N.C. State, Colorado, Mississippi State, Louisville, Northwestern, Indiana, Florida and Southern Miss are a few of them.

“I’ve always liked Georgia because my family is from there. I also grew up a fan of Nebraska, but that’s too far away and too cold for my taste, being a Florida boy. I like Ole Miss a lot because they’ve been sending me stuff since the very first day they could send it. I’m definitely going to their camp. I’ll probably go to a couple of others, but I’m going to wait and see who else shows the most interest.”

Murray plans to attend Auburn’s spring practice on Mar. 8 and he’s also been invited to Colorado’s Junior Day on Mar. 15. He plans to make a stop there as part of his spring break trip.