If you watched the Army All American Bowl, you probably didn’t see a lot of Carlsbad, CA. 4-star prospect, Asa Turner. But if you watched the Polynesian Bowl last night, he made his presence known all over the place.
Why? Because he played safety last night, and in the Army game he played linebacker.
At safety, he was the most athletic and dominating player on the field. The way Turner covered ground, made plays, and just looked comfortable and natural, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He’s big, athletic, and again — he played safety.
When the Legion of Boom was in their heyday — they truly had great players on defense — but the guy who put the most fear in receiver’s hearts (and offensive coordinators) was Kam Chancellor.
Wide receivers did not want to cross the middle because Chancellor put the “Boom” in the Legion of Boom. At 6-3, 232, Chancellor is what you’d call a “unicorn” in football. These guys don’t come around all the time, and they’re very special players when they do come around.
So Asa Turner, if he plays safety in college, could be one of those “unicorns”.
Why? Because Jimmy Lake said so — and Lake has been recruiting him for two years and wanted him to come play safety at Washington.
Everyone knows that Lake is one of the most sought-after defensive coaches in the country, but he has an eye for talent and the gift of knowing where a guy will play his best and get coached up the best.
There’s a lot of talk about Turner going to linebacker — which is where Notre Dame wants him — but let’s also consider this: Jimmy Lake offered a guy named Jayden Williams who had no offers — and all the network “experts” were gut-punched by this.
Even people on Realdawg’s message board were questioning this offer because this kid flew so far under the radar that no one knew he existed.
So then Oregon offers too. It’s becoming obvious that if Jimmy Lake offers, then you must be something special.
So let’s get back to Turner; his comfort and awareness was obvious — he’s that gifted. He’s fluid out there and plays the position like he was born to play it.
There’s no doubt that if Jimmy Lake had the opportunity to coach up Turner at safety (at 6-4, 230) he’d be a heat-seeking missile there and a first-round draft choice. Those guys aren’t growing on trees in the NFL — and the last one was just retired.
As of right now, no one knows what Turner intends to do with his recruitment, but if he chooses Washington, he’ll be a safety.
If he chooses Notre Dame, he’ll be a linebacker. And we’re not saying he can’t play linebacker, but his ceiling at the safety position at the next level and beyond is unlimited.
