On the Plains with Mason Murphy: ‘Everything I’ve got’

Graduate transfer Mason Murphy has come a long way for his final year of eligibility.
 
After spending four seasons at the University of Southern California, the Riverside, California, native chose a small-town school on the other side of the country to close out his collegiate career.
 
What brought him to the Loveliest Village on the Plains? The spirit of the Auburn Family, he says. 
 
“Outside of the football and coaching aspect, I would say the community and how much of a tight-knit family Auburn is,” Murphy said. “Ever since I came here, I am now hearing stories of my mom and my dad meeting people from California who are Auburn fans or have Auburn roots. It’s definitely a big ol’ family. It’s really cool.” 
 
Murphy also mentioned that offensive line coach Jake Thornton’s approach to the position has made Auburn an ideal fit in his final season. 
 
“I’m at a place where I now have a coach that is coaching to my abilities,” Murphy said. “Coach Thornton definitely played a role in my choice to come here for sure.”

After graduating with a degree in sociology from USC in the fall of 2024, Murphy signed with the Tigers in January, enrolling in the spring semester. 
 
While he’s adjusted well to life in Auburn, Murphy admits moving from California to Alabama came with some culture shock. 
 
“It has definitely been different,” he said. “It is the small-town vibes. Los Angeles is such a big city and there is a whole lot of stuff to do there. But it is definitely a lot easier to focus on football here. Which is what I came here to do.” 
 
Joining a close-knit offensive line unit has helped ease the transition to a new team. 
 
“We are a really tight group, so that makes it easy to come in every day,” said Murphy. 
 
Murphy is confident in the offensive line’s strengths and abilities as preseason camp wraps up and the season approaches.
 
“I think we are a big, physical group,” Murphy said. “I think that we have a lot of talent. Maybe some of the top talent the country in the O-line room. We also have a lot of experience, and it shows when we play out there on the field. It’s been fun.” 
 

With the season quickly approaching, Murphy is eager to experience the atmosphere that the Southeastern Conference has to offer and the electricity of Jordan-Hare Stadium on game days. 
 
“I’ve seen the videos and now I finally get to live it,” Murphy said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
 
He is especially excited for the night game against Georgia. 
 
“That is going to be a blast,” Murphy said. “That is going to be awesome just to be in that atmosphere.”
 
As his final season approaches, Murphy is looking to prove himself to the Auburn Family and give everything he has to his team. 

“They are going to get it all from me this year,” Murphy said. “Everything I’ve got. Every snap. I’m just ready to get after it and win a lot of football games and change the narrative here.”

Murphy has come a long way from the first time he stepped on the field to now. It has been the biggest part of his life since his freshman year of high school.
 
However, his first school lacked success while he was growing in the sport, going 0-10 in his sophomore season. After transferring to JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, his junior year, Murphy began to take football seriously as it was something he knew he wanted to pursue. 
 
“I played under Pat Harlow, who was an all-American at USC in the '80s, and he played in the NFL for 12 years,” Murphy said. “He was my high school head coach and O-line coach, so I got to learn a lot from him when I changed schools. He showed me how I needed to operate to get to a high level. I absorbed as much coaching and information from him as possible. The rest is history.” 
 
Away from football, Murphy has become a well-rounded individual and has a passion for creating music. It first started out as a hobby he discovered while experimenting on his computer after redshirting his freshman season and is now an avenue he could potentially pursue.
 
“My mom has always told me that I have a musical mind,” Murphy said. “I just have a natural attractiveness towards music, any type of music.” 
 
As his final season approaches, Murphy’s main goal is still football and to show consistency with his technique in hopes of proving he belongs in the NFL draft class next year. 
 
Still, he has not ruled out other career paths once his playing days are over. 
 
“I may get into real estate,” Murphy said. “I have always thought about running a private security company. I am also really into music, so I have always had the idea of being a music producer. We’ll have to see.”