SoCal corner has a trio of offers

One of the bigger surprises to come out of the NorCal Nike camp two weeks ago was the performance by Manteca (Calif.) defensive back Mike Turner. Turner not only tested off the charts but may have been the top pure cover corner at the camp as well.

Turner, 5-11, 165 pounds clocked a 4.48 in the 40, 4.19 in the shuttle, jumped 34 inches in the vertical and did 14 reps on the bench. His 79.72 *SPARQ Rating was one of the best in the camp but it was his work in the position and one on one drills that set him apart.

Turner was rated one of the top three defensive backs in the camp and has a nice combination of size, speed and cover skills. He closes on the ball well and is very aggressive when the ball is in the air. Turner is a physical corner as well and was impressive in press coverage.

As a junior, Turner picked off seven passes returning two for touchdowns. He added 49 tackles, four loss and returned two punts for touchdowns as well. It's no surprise the athlete has a trio of early scholarship offers right now.

"Arizona State, Washington and Fresno State have all offered," Turner said. "I think Oregon might be close as well. Miami is my favorite school right now, they've always been kind of a dream school and then I also like Florida State, ASU and Oregon. Right now, I'm working out hard, getting in to the gym almost every day and trying to get stronger."

*Taking the standard measurements of the football combine, the SPARQ Rating weighs and combines the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump and bench press into a single number that measures an athlete's overall athleticism. Thus, football players can track the progress of their training, through occasional tests, and compare SPARQ Ratings with teammates, training partners and competitors. To learn more about the SPARQ Rating, go to www.sparqtraining.com.