Being a four-star recruit verbally committed to Ohio State, to outsiders it may look like cornerback Ryan Turner is cruising on easy street, but he’s not. There is still a lot of work left to be done during Turner’s senior season with Chaminade-Madonna (2-0), and teams are not backing away from testing his skills. Off the field, Turner is recruiting top players to join him and may miss out on one fun part of the recruiting process.
The Lions are one of Florida’s powerhouse programs routinely producing elite talent to the collegiate ranks. As Turner (6-0, 185) keeps the legacy going, on a team once again stockpiled with highly recruited players, opposing squads have no choice but to come Turner’s way. In Game 2 of Chaminade’s 2021 season, Turner got to mix it up with Western’s three-star 2022 receiver Julian Lewis giving fans a collegiate preview.
When Turner starts suiting up with Ohio State, the Buckeyes have an idea on how he will fit into their scheme, “At outside corner at first, but they said they are not shutting down the possibility on putting me on the inside. When I get there, they will know more about my skills. I could be on the inside, outside, or at safety. But for now, it is outside corner.”
Over the offseason Turner made two trips to Columbus that included his official in June. When speaking about how well the official went, Turner shared, “It was very good. I went up there in April or May (unofficial), from that I knew what to expect. I already knew some of the players on the team; I went out with them. I got a feel of the town and the city vibe. It felt good to meet the coaches in person on my official. That was the biggest thing.”
The draw for Turner to OSU is all encompassing, but the difference for him is the coaching, “What makes them different is how they teach their defensive backs, the technique they teach, and how efficient they are putting defensive backs into the league. And, being real. Coach (Matt) Barnes is really real with me. He is one of my favorite coaches.”
Ohio State’s coaching style, realness, and ability to get players into the NFL is helping Turner recruit four-star 2022 defensive end teammate Kenyatta Jackson along with American Heritage 2023 five-star receiver Brandon Inniss. Turner explained his recruiting tactics, “For Kenyatta, he knows coach Larry Johnson is the best in the country. He knows about Chase Young and Joey Bosa. He knows what Coach Johnson can do for him. I don’t talk about that with him, he knows, I talk about what we can do for that program.”
On Inniss, Turner continued saying, “He is 2023; I am working on him. He committed early (Oklahoma), but I’m working on him.”
The last part missing in Turner’s recruiting process is the game day experience in Ohio Stadium, “I am talking about it with my parents and coaches. I want to see the Penn State game (Oct. 30), but I am not sure if I can make it. It is hard to get there in time unless it is a seven o’clock game so I don’t land and rush to the stadium.”
