A total of 321 college football players were invited to the NFL Combine this year. For UCLA, one notable name made the list, while another did not.
Gabrial Murphy, one of the two Murphy twins, was offered an invite to the Combine, while his brother Grayson was not. The surprising move comes on the heels of both brothers participating and showing in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
In 2023, the identical twins put up nearly identical numbers playing along the Bruins’ defensive line. Grayson logged 23 total tackles and five sacks, while Gabriel put up 22 tackles and eight sacks. Given Gabriel has the edge in the numbers game, the fact Grayson was invited is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic also mentioned Grayson as one of his surprising ommissions:
Official Combine list. No major snubs, but a few surprises:
– UCLA pass rusher Gabriel Murphy received an invite, but not his twin Grayson
– No invite for DTs Khristian Boyd or Evan Anderson. Boyd didn't have a ton of high grades in-season, but really helped himself at EW Shrine https://t.co/Qkso5HSqei— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 13, 2024
Despite the decision to not invite both Murphy twins, the two will likely have an opportunity to showcase their skills at the UCLA Pro Day. Looking to improve the draft stock and potentially compete against one another in the NFL, the twins will do everything they can to prove they are worth taking a chance on in the draft in the next two months.