Tennessee recently hit on another defensive back out of the portal.
Jalen McMurray committed to join the Vols after spending three seasons at Temple.
I spoke with John DiCarlo of OwlScoop.com to figure out exactly what Tennessee is getting.
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What would you say is McMurray's biggest strength?
DiCarlo: "McMurray’s biggest strength is his work ethic. Temple has an established tradition in which it awards single digits to its best and toughest players, and McMurray in 2022 became the first Owls freshman to earn a single digit since Sean Chandler in 2014 and the first cornerback since Rock Ya-Sin in 2018, and much of that came from how much he impressed Stan Drayton and his new staff in spring ball and preseason camp."
How did you see McMurray improve in his three years at Temple?
DiCarlo: "To be honest, he regressed this season in coverage. He got beat more frequently than he did last season, and his PFF coverage grade dropped significantly from last season (80.6) to this season(65.5), depending upon how much stock you put in that metric. There were times when he was a step or two behind some of the better receivers in the American, and his technique wasn’t quite as sharp at times. He went from never giving up a catch longer than 26 yards in 2022 to averaging 17.5 yards per catch allowed in 2023.
"Having said that, Temple’s safety play behind him wasn’t good this fall, and Stan Drayton parted ways with his former safeties coach Marvin Clecidor after the season. So to be fair to McMurray, subpar safety play certainly didn’t help him in 2023, and it could be argued that maybe some of that was due to communication breakdowns in the back end of the Owls’ defense. Beyond that, Temple had awful luck with injuries on its defensive line, and it very much affected the rest of the defense in terms of how much longer they had to stay in coverage. Miami transfer Allan Haye was playing well before he was lost to a season-ending injury in September, and Georgia Tech transfer K.J. Miles was lost for the season in preseason camp. If they were getting the pressure up front that they did in 2022, it obviously would have helped the secondary."
What does McMurray need to improve on going forward?
DiCarlo: "Really, he just needs to get back to trusting his technique and the talent around him. I’d have to think he’ll be better with a new position coach and better safeties."
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Do you think McMurray's play will translate to the SEC?
DiCarlo: "I think so. We’ll have to see. If he gets there midyear in time for spring ball, he’ll certainly benefit from a full offseason. He’s a smart and determined person off the field and extremely coachable, so I think he will be much more inclined to rise to the challenge of playing in the SEC as opposed to shrinking away from it, mainly because of how sharp he is and because of his diligent work ethic. Is he as good as some of Temple’s better future pros at that position like Rock Ya Sin or Sean Chandler? No, not yet, but I’d have to think Tennessee’s staff was able to evaluate time, place and context with what it saw on film and liked him enough to offer him."
What will you remember McMurray for at Temple?
DiCarlo: "I’ll remember his personality as much as anything. He’s very bright, very talkative and a great interview. I think he’ll be very popular in the cornerback room and become a leader at that position for how he carries himself off the field and in practice."
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