Since he transferred to Cincinnati from Arkansas, Chris Murphy has slowly climbed the ladder on the defensive depth chart. In 2017, he did not reach the summit, but he once again expanded his role on the team. Formerly a special teams starter and occasional defensive contributor, Murphy actually played in a season-high nine games and was able to make the transition from cornerback to safety.
Murphy’s expanded role obviously led to increased production. He set a career-high with 27 tackles and two for loss. The 5’11” defensive back from Marietta, Georgia ranked 11th on the team in tackles and he also managed three passes defended, which tied with Perry Young for the third-most among Bearcats.