Corona del Mar High safety Tucker Murray enters his senior season as one of Orange County's 10 best defensive backs, according to the OC Register's preseason rankings published Aug. 4. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Princeton commit earned first-team All-Bravo League honors and posted 43 tackles and two interceptions for the Sea Kings in 2025.
Murray is the only Newport Beach player on the countywide list.
His recognition caps a busy summer. Murray stood out on both sides of the ball at the South County Classic passing tournament in July, where CdM lost to Santa Margarita by a single point and beat Mater Dei. He earned a USA Lacrosse All-Academic honor and committed to Princeton for both football and lacrosse, making him a rare dual-sport Ivy League commit.
"Extremely grateful to receive my second division one FOOTBALL offer from Princeton University," Murray wrote on Threads on July 13.
Because Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, the commitment reflects Murray's academic standing as much as his athleticism. His X profile lists a 4.0 GPA, and the USA Lacrosse recognition honored him for both on-field performance and classroom achievement.
Murray steps into a defense that must replace Cash Pearsall, who earned Bravo League Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 when CdM went 9-2, shared the league title and reached the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. On offense, new quarterback JD Annett takes over for his brother Brady, the league's 2025 MVP.
The Sea Kings face a reshuffled Bravo League this fall, competing against Capistrano Valley, Crean Lutheran, La Habra, Tustin and Villa Park. The season opens the weekend of Aug. 20-22, though CdM's specific opening opponent has not been announced. The first confirmed date on the Sea Kings' schedule is a Week 2 matchup at Edison on Thursday, Aug. 27, followed by the crosstown rivalry game at Newport Harbor in Week 3.
The Newport Harbor matchup is set for Friday, Sept. 11, at Newport Harbor High.
