Recruiting Trail

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Sam Jackson and Damon Murray’s lives are about to get harder — but in a good way. 

Jackson and Murray both received a pair of college scholarship offers this summer, officially putting the two Lakewood Ranch High football players in the middle of the recruiting process. 

Jackson, a rising junior, received offers from the University of Miami and the University of South Florida, while Murray, a rising senior, received offers from Army and Liberty University to go along with an offer he  previously received from Hampton University. 

Jackson didn’t even think scholarship offers were a possibility this early in the game.

“I had to contain my excitement,” Jackson says. “I was very speechless when the Miami coach said (we want you). I really had to think about what he said. All I could say was, ‘Thank you.’ I was very surprised.” 

When you add his athleticism to his 6-foot-6, 340-pound frame, it was only a matter of time before the scholarship offers would begin filtering in. 

“Sam is an incredibly smart kid who works really hard,” Lakewood coach Mick Koczersut says. “I’m not surprised. We knew based on the ability (he and Damon) have and what they put on film last season, that the offers (would come).” 

With his first scholarship offer in hand, Jackson began attending football camps across the state looking to help build his stock even more. Shortly after receiving an offer from the Hurricanes, the Bulls added an offer of their own. 

“It’s pretty cool knowing they (both) want me,” Jackson says. “It means everything. My goal is to get to the NFL, so knowing I’ll still be able to play in college is a great feeling.” 

Similar to Jackson, Murray received his first offer from Hampton during his junior season. Murray, who grew up playing for the Police Athletic League before coming to Lakewood, didn’t even think about the recruiting process until his sophomore season. 

“That’s when it hit me for the first time that I could get an offer,” Murray says. “I thought ‘I can be good enough to play in college if I keep working hard.’ It was exciting the first time I got an offer. I felt really blessed.” 

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound free safety also started attending elite camps, including the Nike Football Opening Regional and the Blue-Grey Combine, among others, after receiving his first offer. The camps have allowed Murray to showcase his skills in front of several college scouts at one time. 

Neither Jackson or Murray have taken any of their official visits yet, but both will be looking to find the one school that will fulfill both their academic and football related requirements. 

While the two already have scholarship offers, Jackson and Murray don’t plan on letting that hinder their play on the field. Jackson and Murray are planning to approach each game with the same mentality they did before, as if they have something still to prove. After all, you never know who will be watching. 

“People want to offer you, but they don’t know what you can do,” Murray says. “It’s hard because you have to sit and wait until you can perform in front of them.” 

The two will get a taste of the college experience when the Mustangs travel to July 15 through July 18 to Western Carolina University for a team camp. Jackson and Murray plan to use the trip as not only a team bonding experience, but also as an opportunity to see how colleges approach their practices. 

“I’m just very excited for the season,” Murray says. “We are going to work, and we should have a pretty good season. I’m just excited to get back out on the field and see what this year brings us.” 

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].