Arkansas Football: Inside Look at Incoming Freshman A.J. Turner

Fayetteville, Ark. – Linebacker A.J. Turner of East Poinsett County High School (Lepanto, Ark.) verbally committed to Arkansas April 16, 2011, and never looked back despite receiving offers from teams like Mississippi and Arkansas State.

Turner, considered a 3-star recruit, will get an opportunity to crack the Razorbacks’ depth chart as an outside linebacker during his freshman campaign but his overall athleticism shown in high school by playing running back and wide receiver as well as linebacker will allow him other opportunities to get on the field early especially as a special teams player.

At 6’3”, 205 pounds, Turner already possess the frame and build of an every down SEC linebacker. With legitimate 4.5 forty-yard dash speed, Turner also has the wheels needed to be a sideline to sideline linebacker in the nation’s toughest college football conference.

After a year in the Razorbacks’ strength and conditioning program (Jason Veltkamp) along with time under the guidance of linebacker coach Taver Johnson, Turner could be one of Arkansas’ biggest steals in their 2012 recruiting class.

Inside the Numbers

Turner was rated the No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Arkansas in 2011.

Turner was ranked as the 47th best outside linebacker by Rivals.com and the 35th best by Scout.com.

In 2010 Turner rushed 49 times posting a 9.3 yards per carry average while racking up 457 rushing yards along with 10 touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes for 670 yards with 11 touchdowns.

Turner helped lead the Warriors, his high school team, to an undefeated regular season (8-0) during his senior year before losing in the Arkansas state playoff semifinals to Carlisle.

The Warriors finished their 2011 season with an 11-1 record.

The Warriors’ defense limited the opposition to an average of 12 points per game.