Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DB Asa Turner

How might transfer defensive back Asa Turner make an impact for the Florida Gators in 2024?

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida leaned into the winter transfer portal to upgrade its roster for the second offseason in a row, securing a dozen college football veterans to bolster the Gators' roster entering the 2024 offseason.

All Gators is projecting roles for each transfer acquisition. Next up is defensive back pickup Asa Turner, a super senior who joins Florida after five seasons at Washington. 

A consensus top-300, four-star safety prospect from Carlsbad (Calif.) High in the class of 2019, Turner picked the Huskies over Notre Dame specifically, with Michigan, Oregon, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and several other Power 5 programs in the mix as well.

Coaching Washington's defensive backs in an assistant role at the time was current Florida secondary coach Will Harris.

Almost immediately, Turner found himself on the field in a meaningful capacity, even starting five games near the end of his freshman season. His quick emergence led to a spot in the first-team lineup as a redshirt freshman, during Washington's four-game 2020 campaign, one in which Turner earned an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With those 16 games worth of opportunities, Turner compiled 36 tackles with two for loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups. 

He was relegated to a rotational, spot-starting role again in 2021 with Julius Irvin and Kamren Fabiculanan taking over as Washington's Week 1 safety duo. Similar to his freshman year, though, Turner ascended to the first-team by season's end and established himself as an incumbent starter entering 2022, having recorded two interceptions. 

Turner occupied the position for all but one game as a redshirt junior, logging a single-season career-high 595 defensive snaps in 2022. He posted 52 tackles with one or loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups along the way.

In what was supposed to be his final season of college football, Turner was limited by broken bones in both hands, forcing him out of Weeks 3-6 and 9-13 in 2023. Although he appeared in seven games, making six starts, three of those games were in the postseason, making Turner eligible to medically redshirt the year.

Despite his multiple injuries, Turner accumulated 26 tackles with two for loss and one fumble recovery during the Huskies' run to the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, where the No. 2 Huskies fell to No. 1 Michigan. 

It marked the only season of Turner's career in which he did not intercept a pass, and one could guess why. 

Following Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer's jump to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Turner entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 13. His ties to Harris, who oversaw 13 of his starts with the Huskies between 2019-21 and was hired to lead the Gators' secondary in Dec. 2023, led Turner to commit to Florida on Jan. 25. 

"Asa Turner ... 6-foot-2 and change, I think he’s 208 [pounds], productive, good tackler, leader on the team. Had a voice," Florida head coach Billy Napier described Turner on Feb. 7. 

Napier made an example of Turner's voice and leadership traits specifically, suggesting that the defensive back is a demonstration of the type of player Florida sought in the transfer portal, noting that the staff prioritized more than good statistics and quality film. 

"I think we really went for high character, leadership traits [and] production in the portal. That was kind of the theme of the year," Napier sad. "Like, OK, if we're going to add players at this point in their career, they need to really be team-oriented and high character, bring some things to the team other than just the production on the field. So, I think we've learned that a little bit over time." 

Turner's pairing of leadership qualities with prior experience and production makes him a strong candidate to continue making a significant impact in the secondary at his new school. But he is not alone in his eyeing for playing time at safety in Florida's defense entering the 2024 campaign.

As noted in All Gators' first transfer profile, Oregon transfer Trikweze Bridges is expected to return to his high school position of safety after playing cornerback over the years with the Ducks. Later, our analysis of Tulane transfer DJ Douglas pointed toward his ability to play safety and STAR nickel cornerback.

Florida isn't lacking skill at the safety position, despite its moves to patch up the spot. It returns Freshman All-American and All-SEC contributor, Jordan Castell, and fellow rising sophomore Bryce Thornton, who started opposite Castell in three of the final four games in 2023.

Also returning is rising senior RJ Moten, who offered the unit depth in his first season with Florida last year. 

The offseason transfer losses of safeties Miguel Mitchell and Kamari Wilson and nickel corner Jaydon Hill have opened roles for Turner, Bridges and Douglas to reasonably be projected to fill. 

But with Castell, Thornton and rising sophomore nickel Sharif Denson on the ascent, it is not yet clear which three players will trot onto the field for the first defensive snap of 2024. 

Consider it likely that Florida will deploy a rotation at all three spots. 

Find All Gators' previous transfer role projections, for Bridges, defensive lineman Joey Slackman, offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, wide receiver Chimere Dike, "F" edge rusher Brien Taylor Jr., quarterback Clay Millen, linebacker Grayson Howard, Douglas, edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. and offensive lineman Devon Manuel, below. 

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DB Trikweze Bridges

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DL Joey Slackman

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: WR Chimere Dike

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: EDGE Brien Taylor Jr.

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: QB Clay Millen

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: LB Grayson 'Pup' Howard

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DB DJ Douglas

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: EDGE George Gumbs Jr.

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: OL Devon Manuel

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