Kenneth Murray’s evolution from being the spokesperson of a failing Oklahoma defense to the leader of a resurgence lofted him into the first-round of the NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Chargers just selected Murray with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Missouri City, Texas, native came to Oklahoma in 2017 as a three-star prospect. Murray became the first freshman starting linebacker for the Sooners since 1975. He was named a captain as a sophomore in 2018 and then flourished under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
In 2019, Murray led Oklahoma with 102 tackles and 17 tackles for loss—both team highs. He was named a second-team AFCA All-American, a third-team AP All-American and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by Big 12 coaches and the Associated Press.
Murray was the vocal leader for Oklahoma’s defense his final two seasons and was called the ‘Alpha’ of the defense by Grinch multiple times during the 2019 season. He also was able to graduate in three years from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
The cover boy for Oklahoma’s new ‘Speed D’ became the first defen