COLUMBIA, SC – Donovan Murph is a dynamic, 3-star 6-foot-3, 190-pound class of 2026 wide receiver who attends Irmo High School.
Ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 46 nationally at the position, he has blown up on the recruiting trail this offseason, and his progress is being heavily tracked by North Carolina wide receiver coach Lonnie Galloway. UNC offered Murph on January 25.
The Tar Heels will have their hands full in light of Murph’s skyrocketing stock, as programs nationwide are beginning to hear of his talents. Murph originally attended Good Counsel in Washington, DC, and has been offered by Alabama, Penn State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Oregon, Cincinnati, Colorado, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Maryland, Miami, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. He has 22 offers overall.
Murph, who recorded 1,084 yards on 57 receptions and scored 17 touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets last season, is high on UNC.
THI visited him at his high school practice on Tuesday, where he put on a show, making a big catch in traffic during one-on-ones and running it in for the touchdown, making yards after the catch being one of his top traits.
After that, he spoke with us about his recruitment from Carolina, which appears to be trending in a great direction.
Players know other players, and Carolina’s recruitment of Palmetto State athletes could pay dividends with Murph in the 2026 cycle. High-value four-star Marshall Pritchett of Rabun-Gap Nacoochee is originally from Charleston, and safety Onis Konnanbany, who is the top target for the Tar Heels this cycle, lives in Columbia attending Heathwood Hall.
Murph said he could see himself ‘vibing’ with the program culture with a friendly, competitive nature ‘not all about ball,’ especially at the wide receiver position, where Galloway lets his players be independent.
Murph’s quarterback and close friend, A.J. Brand, a Division 1 product who will likely choose between South Carolina and Virginia Tech, is a cousin of new Tar Heels’ wide receiver, Jordan Shipp, who could also show the athlete more about the program.
Murph said that he “definitely” plans to make the trip up to Chapel Hill this summer.
Expect Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Clemson, who have played by their own rules when it comes to offering players out of high school, to play a strong factor in his recruitment, along with underdogs such as Colorado, who offered him during the same time frame as UNC to play a factor, the Buffaloes already having Murph up in Boulder for their Spring Game.
However, Murph anticipates that the Tar Heels will play a major factor in his final decision as his recruitment continues to develop, he strongly suggested to THI.
“They’re definitely one of the top schools for me. I like Coach Galloway and Coach Brown and just what they’re doing over they’re and what they bring to the table. I’m just blessed to be in this position,” he said.
Here is our interview:
