Arkansas Transfer Chris Murphy Lands With Cincinnati

Chris Murphy was a consensus top 50 cornerback in the class of 2014. He was an early enrollee with Arkansas, one of four early enrollee's for the Hogs class of 2014. But after a couple of months in Fayetteville he decided that he would rather be somewhere else. Can't say that I blame him.

So, like Mekale McKay before him Chris Murphy is moving from Northwestern Arkansas to Southwestern Ohio. The reasoning behind it is obviously completely different, McKay wanted to be closer to home. By most accounts Murphy just wanted to be somewhere that felt like home. Unlike McKay there is no chance that Murphy will be eligible this year. He will practice, give the scout team the kind of corner who can challenge the Bearcats ridiculous array of receiving talents. Then he will take the field as redshirt freshman ready to compete for a starting job at corner.

As a side note, just look at the depth that Tommy Tuberville has assembled at cornerback in the last year. From the 2014 class you have Alex Thomas, Linden Stephens, J.J. Pinckney and now Murphy. From the 2015 class you have Jhavonte Dean, and Joshua Norwood. That is six really good prospects at corner, and all of them but Murphy are 6'0" or taller and rangy as hell. I am really, really high on Pinckney who has all the requisite instincts and athleticism for the position; and a massive 6'3" 180 pound frame.

The Bearcats have really upgraded the talent and the level of competition at the corner back position in a really short amount of time. It will probably take a couple of years for that upgraded talent pool to have an impact on the field, but its there now.