Arizona continues to be a pipeline state for Colorado State.
Two of the first five public commitments for CSU Football in the 2025 cycle have come from the Grand Canyon state. Defensive lineman Caden Branston was the first, announcing so a little over a week ago. Jackson Murray then became the second on Wednesday evening.
A 6-foot-1, 265-pound defensive tackle, Murray has posted about offers from Army and Air Force. He also has been offered by Idaho, Idaho State, Northern Arizona, Utah Tech and South Dakota State at the FCS level.
A multiyear starter for Horizon High School in Phoenix, Murray has recorded 93 total tackles in 25 games according to MaxPreps. As far as the numbers go, 68 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks is nothing to scoff at.
Watching him on Hudl, you can see why his production has been so consistent. The guy essentially lives in the backfield. He doesn’t have the flashiest approach but he’s explosive off the snap and does a really nice job shedding blocks. He seems to have a relentless motor, too.
He will need to put on some size at the FBS level but there is a lot to like about the way he plays the game. Much like what I said about Cannon Valenzuela, Murray seems like the kind of under-the-radar recruit that in a different world would end up terrorizing the Rams after signing with Troy Calhoun.
