Larrell Murchison fighting for spot in defensive tackle rotation
Larrell Murchison understands change and patience.
Murchison hails from Elizabethtown, N.C., which has a population of around 3,583 people. His family has strong roots in the city with his mom running Glenda Just Dessert & Lunch restaurant in town.
In the last three years Murchison has gone form Elizabethtown to Louisburg (N.C.) Junior College and now at NC State. He redshirted this past season, but the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder feels he has adjusted to the ACC level of football and is ready to contribute at defensive tackle. The adjustment didn’t come quickly, with each rung of the college football ladder taking time.
The former defensive end and fullback at East Bladen Hall once thought the jump to Louisburg College was a big move.
“There is nothing around Louisburg College,” Murchison said. “It was just so boring. I was just trying to find something to do and lock in with the coaches that were over there. That was the hardest thing.
“Out of high school, I could have went to different colleges, but I messed it up. I had to go juco and that was my lesson right there. I took that lesson and put it to the field and in the classroom, so I could make it up.”
Louisburg College went 9-0 his sophomore year in 2016, with Murchison accumulating 41 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He had 18 tackles and six tackles for loss his freshman year, so the progress was noticeable.
“In juco, you really have nothing and you start off with nothing,” Murchison said. “They don’t give you anything. You have to be hungry at all times because you are trying to get out to Division I or anywhere for free.”
Murchison naturally wondered if college coaches would even find him at Louisburg College. It wasn’t until after his sophomore season when he first felt good about his chances of playing Division I football.
“I was a little bit worried at times, but then I’d think, ‘Something is going to happen,’” Murchison said. “I remember getting a call in November and Marshall wanted to come on an unofficial. In December, I got that one phone call that really changed my life. The defensive line coach from North Carolina, Tray Scott, he called me. That really started off my recruitment right there.”
Murchison thought he was going to sign with Georgia but the week before National Signing Day became incredibly stressful. Despite his thought process with the Bulldogs, he was hoping NC State would eventually offer.
“Even in the beginning, I was like, ‘If I can just get that offer from NC State, period,’” Murchison said. “It was the only one. They called at the right time. It couldn’t be more perfect.”
Murchison was a surprise signing announcement following head coach Dave Doeren’s press conference. He remembers visiting NC State in high school and seeing the wolves statue in front of the Murphy Center and thinking, “Wow, I wish I could come here.” He then attended the NC State spring game while he was attending Louisburg College.
The other tough aspect of his recruitment was that his days playing with his fraternal twin brother were coming to an end. The 6-1, 228-pound Farrell Murchison signed with Winston-Salem State and rushed 88 times for 542 yards and four touchdowns last year for the Rams.
“He is happy for me to be here, but I wish he got a chance to play with me,” Larrell Murchison said.
With his college decision out of the way and his time at Louisburg College over, Murchison knew the next jump in his life would be another large one.
“I had to restart everything [at NC State],” Murchison said.
The NC State coaches elected to redshirt Murchison this past year, which ended up being a terrific move for everyone involved. He took advantage of watching future NFL defensive linemen Bradley Chubb, B.J. Hill, Justin Jones and Kentavius Street.
“There was a lot that I had to learn,” Murchison said. “I had to get adjusted to the game speed, which I’m still trying to do. My major focus this spring is to get adjusted.”
The departure of Hill and Jones means some serious playing time is available in the defensive tackle rotation.
“I just want to follow in their footsteps,” Murchison said. “They are the G.O.A.T.S. right there. I’ve never seen anybody play like that on the inside.
“It’s definitely intense and you have way heavier bodies on the inside [at ACC level].”
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