Saint Stephen’s senior Jordan Murrell commits to Stetson

Jordan Murrell is Manatee County’s first post-national signing day senior commitment.

The Saint Stephen’s running back and linebacker was offered by Stetson on Thursday, Falcons head coach Tod Creneti said, and plans to join the Football Championship Subdivision program.

Murrell had been accepted to Stetson University as a student before the football program extended an offer. Once the offer came, Murrell’s decision was easy.

“He has been admitted,” Creneti said in a text message, “the offer sealed the deal.”

Murrell, who more frequently goes by the nickname “Ace” to avoid confusion with cousin and teammate Jordon Murrell, was undergoing shoulder surgery Thursday and could not immediately be reached by phone. The shoulder surgery, Creneti said, will likely keep Murrell off the field through his first fall in DeLand, leaving his position future uncertain. Creneti said the Hatters view Murrell as a player capable of playing multiple positions, just as he did in Bradenton.

The 5-foot-9, 171-pound athlete was a valuable two-way starter for the Sunshine State Athletic Conference champions. Murrell, who played a slotback position in Saint Stephen’s option-heavy offense, ran the ball 21 times for 145 yards and five touchdowns, and he caught four passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. As an outside linebacker, Murrell recorded 27 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss and two sacks. He also forced two fumbles and returned another for a touchdown.

When Murrell signs, he will become the third player from the county set to play for Stetson in the fall joining a pair of Manatee standouts. All-State quarterback A.J. Colagiovanni and linebacker Garrett Ware, both of whom earned Herald All-Area recognition, signed commitment letters — the Hatters play in the Pioneer Conference, which does not offer football scholarships — with Stetson on Signing Day.

Murrell is also the first player from this fall’s Florida Bowl-winning Falcons to commit to a Division I program. Alex Virgilio is signed with Division II Wingate University in North Carolina as a kicker; defensive back Lethario Jones Jr. is committed to Division III Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee; and Peyton Vining, a linebacker and wide receiver, is committed to D-III Denison in Granville, Ohio.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Saint Stephen’s senior Jordan Murrell commits to Stetson."