Dabo Swinney breaks down Myles Murphy's decision to declare for 2023 NFL Draft

On3 imageby:Justin Rudolph•12/13/22

The Clemson Tigers will be without one of their stars along their defensive line when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the Orange Bowl. Defensive end Myles Murphy recently announced that he will not play in the Tigers’ final game of the season as he prepares for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. As Clemson prepares for their showdown with Tennessee, head coach Dabo Swinney broke down Murphy’s decision to opt out of the bowl game and declare for the draft. Along with what the conversation between them was like.

“Easy. Easy conversation,” said Swinney. “I think he contemplated things, whether or not he was going to come back, go pro, or whatever. And then whether or not, he was going to play in the game. I think that all of those things weighed heavily on him. He didn’t make a decision on a whim. That’s not who he is. Myles is a very deep guy, and he’s got a great family And a lot of support around him. He really took his time to think it through. We gave him all the information, and that’s what we do. And then he makes a decision, and we support the decision and keep moving.

“But I’m not surprised. He’s a great player, and I think he’ll be a pretty high draft pick. I think he’s going to test well, work out well, meet well, and all those things. He’ll be a great player for a long time.”

As a junior in 2022, Murphy earned first-team All-ACC selection from the league’s coaches. He finished the season with 94 tackles, 11.0 sacks, five forced fumbles and three pass breakups.

More on Murphy

Murphy took absolutely zero time to begin making an impact at Clemson after arriving, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2020 from the FWAA, ESPN and The Athletic. The Associated Press named him the ACC Co-Newcomer of the Year.

During that freshman season in 2020 Murphy racked up 51 tackles, 12.0 tackles for a loss, 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass breakup.

He was equally good as a sophomore in 2021, earning second-team All-ACC honors by recording 43 tackles, 14.0 tackles for a loss, 7.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.

Murphy is one of the most well-regarded edge prospects in college football, with many NFL Draft analysts projecting the Clemson star as a potential top-10 NFL Draft pick.