by Bill Seals
It was a memorable weekend at Iowa State for a Class of 2017 defensive end from Ohio after he picked up his first Power-5 offer of the recruiting process.
Columbiana Crestview junior Jordan Murphy was one of several talented prospects on campus on Saturday in conjunction with an Iowa State spring scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Murphy said he was impressed with all aspects of his trip to Ames.
“When we were pulling into the parking lot of the stadium, I was blown away by it all,” said Murphy. “There’s nothing really around it, so it just kind of sticks out. It’s pretty breathtaking. When I walked in, (Director of Player Personnel) Doug Phillips was in there and talked to me. We had talked on the phone and on Twitter a lot, so it was cool meeting him.
“They had us sit down, talked to us and showed us an introductory video. From there, we went out on the practice field and watched them practice. They had me go out on the field with Coach Campbell and I met with him. It was the first time I had seen him in a while and he was excited to see me.
“After that, they showed us some of the facilities and we ate. They told me they wanted me to stay after to show me around campus. Coach Phillips took me and my parents on the campus tour and it was beautiful. The weight room was my favorite aspect of it all. They have so many resources and I think they’re going to be an awesome team with this coaching staff.”
Murphy, who also has a pair of MAC offers, picked up his first one from Toledo when Campbell was the head coach there. He was excited to learn during a 45-minute meeting that he was getting another offer from the new leader of the Cyclone program.
“Coach Campbell had me and my parents go to his office and it was incredible to receive an offer from Iowa State,” Murphy said. “I was very excited about it. He said the number one thing that stood out with me was my character. He really looks at that. He said I’m the type of player he wants at Iowa State. He wants all the kids he recruits to be like me and to go to Iowa State. He also said I’m very athletic and everything I need at the defensive line position.”
Saying that Campbell has made a positive influence on Murphy would probably be an understatement, as the junior defensive end raved about the job the I-State head coach has done in his recruitment.
“When I go on other visits, I compare those coaches to Coach Campbell,” Murphy said. “I look up to him a lot and see him as the ideal coach. He was my first offer when he was at Toledo and was the first one to really believe in my abilities. I’ve taken a liking to him. I’d love to be a part of his team one day.”
Given his experience at ISU over the weekend, Murphy said he’s now looking at accelerating the process and possibly making a decision sooner rather than later.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “Ever since I’ve gotten the offer, I’ve thought seriously about committing. I’m definitely thinking about it. I still want to think through things and see what other options there are, but as of right now I’m very pleased with Iowa State and excited about it.”
It was a memorable weekend at Iowa State for a Class of 2017 defensive end from Ohio after he picked up his first Power-5 offer of the recruiting process.
Columbiana Crestview junior Jordan Murphy was one of several talented prospects on campus on Saturday in conjunction with an Iowa State spring scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Murphy said he was impressed with all aspects of his trip to Ames.
“When we were pulling into the parking lot of the stadium, I was blown away by it all,” said Murphy. “There’s nothing really around it, so it just kind of sticks out. It’s pretty breathtaking. When I walked in, (Director of Player Personnel) Doug Phillips was in there and talked to me. We had talked on the phone and on Twitter a lot, so it was cool meeting him.
“They had us sit down, talked to us and showed us an introductory video. From there, we went out on the practice field and watched them practice. They had me go out on the field with Coach Campbell and I met with him. It was the first time I had seen him in a while and he was excited to see me.
“After that, they showed us some of the facilities and we ate. They told me they wanted me to stay after to show me around campus. Coach Phillips took me and my parents on the campus tour and it was beautiful. The weight room was my favorite aspect of it all. They have so many resources and I think they’re going to be an awesome team with this coaching staff.”
Murphy, who also has a pair of MAC offers, picked up his first one from Toledo when Campbell was the head coach there. He was excited to learn during a 45-minute meeting that he was getting another offer from the new leader of the Cyclone program.
“Coach Campbell had me and my parents go to his office and it was incredible to receive an offer from Iowa State,” Murphy said. “I was very excited about it. He said the number one thing that stood out with me was my character. He really looks at that. He said I’m the type of player he wants at Iowa State. He wants all the kids he recruits to be like me and to go to Iowa State. He also said I’m very athletic and everything I need at the defensive line position.”
Saying that Campbell has made a positive influence on Murphy would probably be an understatement, as the junior defensive end raved about the job the I-State head coach has done in his recruitment.
“When I go on other visits, I compare those coaches to Coach Campbell,” Murphy said. “I look up to him a lot and see him as the ideal coach. He was my first offer when he was at Toledo and was the first one to really believe in my abilities. I’ve taken a liking to him. I’d love to be a part of his team one day.”
Given his experience at ISU over the weekend, Murphy said he’s now looking at accelerating the process and possibly making a decision sooner rather than later.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “Ever since I’ve gotten the offer, I’ve thought seriously about committing. I’m definitely thinking about it. I still want to think through things and see what other options there are, but as of right now I’m very pleased with Iowa State and excited about it.”
