The first of what’s expected to be a double-shot of major commitments Friday and Saturday out of the state of Georgia for Clemson was checked off Friday night when DE Myles Murphy (6-5 240) of Powder Springs announced a commitment to the Tigers over Auburn. Murphy made his decision known during halftime of his team’s spring game. Saturday RB Kobe Pryor of Cedartown is expected to reveal his choice of the Tigers as well.

“Both Auburn and Clemson checked the boxes of the culture that they adopt there, the people that they develop there. They develop their players into men, not just football players, but men,” Murphy said. ”To single them out, I just had to go with a gut feeling, and I chose Clemson.”

Murphy narrowed his list to two from a national cast of offers. He visited Clemson last season for a game and was back for a junior day visit in April. What really caught his eye, besides the winning football, were the other elements of the program.

“Really, it’s the great environment that they have and the great players that they produce because of the atmosphere and what they teach into the boys – the PAW Journey program,” Murphy said. “After college, they really try to push them into the real world by giving them job opportunities, internships and some of them went out of the country. Some of them went to New York over spring break. That’s what I really like to see out of Clemson.”

He’s also excited about working with Clemson defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall.

“He’s a very down-to-earth man,” Murphy said of Hall. “So, it’s not all the time we’re just talking football. He’s asking about my family, how my dad is doing, how my brother is doing up in college. It’s not rare, but it’s not often where it is just straight football.”

Last season Murphy totaled 53 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He gives Clemson 15 commitments for the 2020 class and the first for the defensive end positions.