'08 NY RB Latavius Murray (UCF Verbal)

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'08 NY RB Latavius Murray



Running back
Nedrow (NY) Onondaga Central School
Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 215 lbs
Forty: 4.64 secs
Class: 2008 (High School)

RP Discussion Links: BC, Maryland, Syracuse, UConn

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Rivals $

7/23

By Farrell...visited UF for FNL...wants to visit Maryland and BC before the end of the summer.

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Scout $

8/12

UConn and UCF have offered.

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Syracuse.com

It has been an interesting, pivotal summer for Murray, who teeters on the cusp of realizing a dream.

Coaches from Syracuse, Boston College, Central Florida, Maryland and Connecticut have extended scholarship offers to Murray. He is one of a handful of Central New York Division I football prospects mulling his options and has agreed to allow a reporter access to the process as he completes his final season at Onondaga.

Syracuse was the first school to offer; Maryland the most recent. Murray believes other offers could be forthcoming.

He spent one night this summer sweltering in the Florida heat while participating in the University of Florida's Friday Night Lights. The spectacle is essentially Florida coach Urban Meyer's one-night tryout camp.

Murray's dad, Paul, lives in Titusville, Fla., where Latavius spent part of his summer. Father and son made the more than two-hour trek to Gainesville so that Latavius could be put through the paces under the watchful eyes of Florida coaches. Perhaps 150 scholarship hopefuls turned out for the occasion.

He has not made any of his five official visits. He will sit down with Jason Ryan some time soon to make plans to see schools. He has not declared a front-runner, but Murray professes to be a Florida fan and if the national champion Gators offer, it might make his intentions clearer.

There is also the business of Michigan. Murray visited last year to watch his friend (and former Onondaga phenom) Mike Hart play against Iowa. Afterward Michigan coaches offered Murray a tour of the football facilities.

Neither Florida nor Michigan has offered him a scholarship. And Murray insists he won't be disappointed if neither school makes an offer. He seems content, these days, to wait and see how the process plays out.

And though Murray prefers to run the football in college, some schools are pursuing him as a linebacker.

Would it make a difference if a school only wanted him to play linebacker?

"No," he said. "Not at all."

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Syracuse.com

Part 2 of the in-depth series detailing Murray's recruitment.

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Syracuse.com

As much Murray wants to push those thoughts aside, the reality of his situation keeps poking at his subconscious. Five colleges - Syracuse, Boston College, Maryland, Connecticut and Central Florida - have offered him scholarships. Every day, he encounters the subtle reminders. He might spot a recruiting letter on a table in his Nedrow home. He might get an email from a college coach. Even the mundanity of high school football practice directs his thoughts to his future.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it," he said. "But I don't sweat about it. It's always in my mind and I know I'm going to have to make a decision in the long run. But when I think about it, I don't think of it like I'm running out of time. I like the feeling. It's a cool feeling."

Murray insists that he's pleased with the offers he's received, but he also acknowledges that he hopes by the end of the season to have other options to consider. He is a lifelong Florida fan and is also a Michigan man. Neither of those teams have offered a scholarship, but Murray believes that a spectacular senior season could compel those programs to reconsider.

Murray likely will decide later rather than sooner. Ryan said he's counseled him to weigh all his options. Choosing a college, Ryan tells his players, is one of the two most important decisions a man will make. The other involves selecting a bride.

Murray wants to make his official visits to Connecticut, Boston College and Maryland to see what those schools look like. He wants time to sift through all the data, to decide which school could best shape his future.

"I think it only benefits you, the more you wait. You've got more time to think about it and more time to make a better decision," Murray said. "How I feel right now, I don't really know. I'd really rather wait until my season is done. Basically, I've just been going on feeling and what I think is right. When I feel comfortable and when I think I know what I want to do, I'm going to make my decision."

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Syracuse.com

It's been a whirlwind couple weeks for Latavius Murray, who has accumulated rushing yardage and frequent flier miles at escalating rates.

Murray, the running back from Onondaga High School, made recruiting visits on successive weekends last month. He traveled to Boston College Sept. 22 to examine the Eagles. Last weekend, he journeyed to Orlando, Fla., to check out Central Florida.

Murray has been offered football scholarships from BC, UCF, Syracuse, Connecticut and Maryland. The recent recruiting trips, he said, surfaced after coaches from BC and UCF suggested a specific weekend to visit.

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Recruit | Onondaga's Murray makes headlines as tailback, scout lists as linebacker - Sports

Murray is being recruited by Boston College, Central Florida, Maryland, Connecticut and Syracuse. Wearing Orange, though, might be a long shot as Murray said his heart is torn between BC and Central Florida right now.

Not surprisingly, Murray wants to play his natural position of running back in college, which could give the upper hand to the Golden Knights, who want him to play offense next year.

"I'd like to play running back," Murray said. "Just because that's what I'm used to and that's how I made a name for myself."

People may recognize him as a running back around Central New York, but around the country, experts consider him a linebacker. Both Scout.com and Rivals.com have him listed as a three-star linebacker prospect.

"I certainly think he can play running back, but I think he projects better as a linebacker," East Coast Scout.com analyst Matt Alkire said. "Once he hits a college weight room, he could be a real presence. Maryland was recruiting him (to play) the same position as (former Terrapin and current San Diego Charger) Shawne Merriman."

Murray said some schools like Boston College told him not to pay attention to how scouts rate him or what position fits him better. He said it doesn't really affect him that some experts say he's a linebacker, but it's hard sometimes to understand why they say it.

"I just feel that if I was having the success that I'm having on defense then list me as a linebacker," Murray said. "But since I'm having the success I'm having as a running back, I feel that's what I should be listed as. I just feel my position is running back, and I also do play defense, but that's not why people know me."

The switch to linebacker is not a deal breaker for any school in Murray's future, but he said he wouldn't mind some credit for what he has done on the offensive end as a half back.

Murray already plays defense, so it wouldn't be as if he had no experience, should he play linebacker in college. Murray also said he can take what he has learned on offense to defense.

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Syracuse.com

Behind Murray, Onondaga pounds its way to Class D crown Saturday, November 03, 2007
By Donna Ditota Staff writer

At halftime of Friday's Section III Class D title game, Onondaga coach Jason Ryan appealed to his players in a tone they would not misunderstand. The undefeated Tigers were tied at 14 with Dolgeville. Their star running back, Latavius Murray, had rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries. The offense stalled when it owned the ball and accounted for a Dolgeville touchdown when Clay Ardoin picked off a Teddy Zabel pass and ran the ball 53 yards into the end zone.

Ryan raised his voice and issued a challenge: What did his offense have planned for the second half?

"They just looked at me and said, 'Coach, run the ball,' " Ryan said. "So we got back to our roots."

Continued...

Murray made a big play in the first half, shredding tackles and sprinting 75 yards on a punt return for a touchdown. Dolgeville countered with Ardoin's interception and then Onondaga struck with an 84-yard pass play from Teddy Zabel to Mike Cota.

Continued...

Syracuse.com

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
By Donna Ditota Staff writer

Onondaga High School running back Latavius Murray has decided to play college football at Central Florida.

Murray, who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season, said he arrived at the decision Monday.

With his Tigers playing Friday in the New York State Class D quarterfinals against Section IV's Walton, Murray wanted to rid himself of the distractions of a decision.

"I kind of just wanted to get it over with," he said. "I already had my mind made up and I just didn't want to be stressed with it."

Continued...

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Injury draws former Onondaga Central star Latavius Murray back to Syracuse - Sports News