CLEMSON – Donovan Murph is one of the top uncommitted wide receivers in the 2025 class.

The 4-star in-state talent, out of Irmo, was originally a member of the 2026 recruiting class, but several things lined up for Murph and that allowed him to reclassify.

Not only was it something that he had been thinking about for quite some time, but some of the schools that were recruiting him were also pitching him on the idea. Seeing as he had the grades to make it happen, he decided to go ahead and make the jump.

“Schools had been talking to me about it. Saying I had the ability to do it, that I can move up if I really wanted to,” Murph told The Clemson Insider. “I mean, the idea has always been around. I had the grades to do it, so I went ahead and did it. It was me being closer to trying to get to the NFL and be young and have longevity in the league.”

After making the rounds on the camp circuit during the summer, including a stop at Clemson, Murph quickly became one of the more coveted wideouts in the country. Before reclassifying, the 6-foot-2 recruit was the first receiver in his class to nab an offer from the Tigers. It came immediately after his workout at camp.

One look at the film tells you all you need to know. The talent just jumps off the screen. Heading into the playoffs, Murph had already reeled in 74 catches for 991 yards with six touchdowns. He also has more than 1,000 all-purpose yards.

However, for whatever reason, that production hasn’t gained much traction with the scouts at the recruiting services. ESPN is the only one that ranks him inside the Top 200 overall and yet they still have him outside the Top 20 at his position. 247 and Rivals have him outside of the Top 40 receivers and On3 actually has him No. 86 and 14th in the state of South Carolina.

And Murph sees those rankings. While he doesn’t put a ton of stock into them, he does use them as motivation.

“I definitely see it,” Murph said. “I know I’m better than a lot of the players. I don’t really pay attention to that. You could cut on the tape and see what I can do. I really just pray about it. Because I mean, everybody else’s opinion doesn’t really matter. Just what God thinks about me and what I think about me. But it definitely fuels me.”

This weekend, Murph is set to take an official visit to Clemson. He last visited for the blowout win over NC State. He will come in on Friday and stay through Sunday, while taking in the Tigers matchup against The Citadel. He plans to bring the entire family with him. His mom and dad, his grandfather and his siblings will all accompany him as he uses this final visit to look for some specific things.

“Just clarity, for real,” Murph said. “I want to know how they gonna use me when I come in. Can I be able to make an impact early. And just see some other things that I didn’t see. Stuff about the campus. Just see small stuff like that. Stuff that I would miss being on the gameday visit.”

Being an in-state kid, Clemson has always been a school of interest, and seeing how many freshmen receivers have received early opportunities over the past few years is something that really resonates. Early playing time is something receivers coach Tyler Grisham has worked hard at selling Murph on.

“Definitely, that is a big part of it,” Murph added. “If you have the talent, will you play early and how willing is the coach to put you in type of thing. Coach Grisham, he always emphasizes that he’s gonna play the best players, no matter who it is, no matter how young they are. That’s something that definitely stands out.”

The Gamecocks have also been a big part of this recruitment. He has been on campus there twice in the past three weeks, including Saturday’s comeback win over Missouri.

Most think this recruitment has come down to the two rival schools, although Murph said he really likes Colorado and Ole Miss too.

“I mean you see that they are not afraid to play young talent early, as well,” Murph said of the Gamecocks. “They are right down the street so it is easy for them to recruit me. I have seen them a lot. Some of the best players stay in Columbia. Coach Beamer always emphasizes that. I think they are headed in the right direction. That stands out to me, how young they are and how are they going to be able to build off of that.”

While many have pegged South Carolina as the substantial favorite to win this battle, Clemson gets one final shot this weekend at swaying the talented receiver.

“The freshmen play, there is always gonna be a good quarterback,” Murph said about Clemson. “It’s just a strong foundation. I always feel that family-feel there up there as well. Coach Swinney is always showing me that there’s been guys like me that they have a tradition of developing at receiver. So that’s also something that stands out to me.”

Murph has yet to set a commitment date, but did say that announcement could be coming soon. At this point, he isn’t even sure if he will sign during the early signing period that begins on December 4. It’s possible that he waits until the later signing day in February. Seeing as he won’t be an early enrollee, he doesn’t need to rush a decision.

He does know what he is looking for in a school and he feels like both Clemson and South Carolina offer those things. As with most recruitments, this one is likely to come down to who he believes is the best fit.

“A school that can develop me as a player and as a young man,” Murph said. “A staff that I can really feel that they’re going to take care of me. Not only as a football player, but as a young man. Just develop me. A place where my family’s gonna be able to come to just watch me play all the time. So Clemson or Carolina, that’s really easy. They can always come see me play. That definitely is gonna go into it.”

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!