While some might say Kyle Murphy is destined to be a West Coast guy, the offensive tackle said he is still open to colleges all over the country.
The 6-foot-7, 275-pound four-star lineman from San Clemente, Calif., holds 22 scholarship offers from schools across America, and admits he feels comfortable with Pac-12 programs.
But Murphy said Florida, Notre Dame and Oklahoma all have a very good chance of making it into his short list when he narrows his options some time next week.
“I’m going to see if I can see myself staying out west, but I’m definitely still looking on a nationwide scale,” he said.
Murphy plans to reduce his list to a top five or six, so he can start mapping out as many official visits as possible.
Unlike many top prospects, the nation’s No. 6 offensive tackle according to Rivals.com hasn’t done much traveling this summer.
Instead of frantically flying around to camps and visits, the lineman has stayed around his hometown and worked out with his high school teammates.
“I went to Oregon for [Nike’s] ‘The Opening,’” he said. “But after that, there wasn’t a lot of stuff that I wanted to do.”
Although Murphy was one of many top recruits to skip UF’s Friday Night Lights, the California native said he talks to the Gators coaching staff often.
He primarily deals with offensive line coach Frank Verducci and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.
Verducci and Weis typically talk to Murphy about working out a date when he can make the 2,375-mile trip cross country from San Clemente to Gainesville.
They’ve also talked to him in-depth about his role in the new regime’s pro-style offense.
“I definitely like the pro style a lot,” Murphy said.
“It’s very similar to what we run at my high school. They can kind of do it all. It’s a nice change from the spread offense they were running.”
The offensive tackle’s interest in Weis’ pro-style attack could be good news for Florida fans.
Murphy has stated on a number of occasions that he is simply looking for the offense that is best for him.
While Murphy is still six months away from National Signing Day, the tackle has accepted an invitation to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and has plenty of time to pick a school from his soon-to-be narrowed list.
For now, the lineman is trying to learn as much as possible about the schools offering him, talking to coaches and players regularly.
“I kind of talk to everybody as much as I can through Facebook messages,” Murphy said.
