Murrell registered 21 sacks over his final two seasons at Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to earn All-Region honors.

Murrell was a two-time first-team All-American performer at Appalachian State University, finishing his career with 36 sacks and a school-record 18 forced fumbles.

Murrell gained 13 sacks in both his junior and senior seasons, fueling his Appalachian State to two consecutive Division I-AA National Championships in 2005 and 2006.

In the 2005 title game he forced a fumble that was returned by Jason Hunter for the winning touchdown in a 21–16 victory over University of Northern Iowa.

In 16-13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 18, 2009, Murrell and Jets safety James Ihedigbo threw punches at Bills tight end Derek Fine, prompting Murrell to be fined by the NFL for $5,000 and be benched, along with Ihedigbo, by head coach Rex Ryan for the following game against the Oakland Raiders on October 25, 2009.