Washington DB Transfer Asa Turner Commits to Florida

Florida has secured its third defensive back transfer of the offseason, Washington safety Asa Turner, who once played for new Gators secondary coach, Will Harris.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida made its fourth veteran defensive back acquisition of the 2024 offseason on Thursday evening, securing the transfer of super senior Washington safety Asa Turner. 

Turner's transfer to Florida follows that of former Oregon cornerback Trikweze Bridges, former Tulane safety DJ Douglas and class of 2024 Alabama cornerback signee Jameer Grimsley. 

The trio of veteran defensive back additions offers a combined 58 starts and 131 games of experience to a Gators secondary that ended the 2023 campaign with two freshmen first-teamers, safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton, and lost three multi-year starting contributors to the portal this offseason: Jalen Kimber, Jaydon Hill and Miguel Mitchell. 

Turner, a class of 2019 consensus four-star prospect from Carlsbad, Calif., accounts for 28 of the obtained starts, which date back to his freshman campaign with the Huskies. 

13 of those first-team appearances came under the supervision of new Florida secondary coach Will Harris, who oversaw Washington's defensive backs from 2018-21 in primary and assistant position coaching roles. 

Turner's most recent season was limited by broken bones in both hands, forcing him out of Weeks 3-6 and 9-13. He returned to the starting lineup for Washington's Pac-12 Championship victory over Oregon and its run to the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, where the No. 2 Huskies fell to No. 1 Michigan. 

"This has been a tough season injury-wise, but not too frustrating," Turner told Inside the Huskies in December. "The team's been doing well with or without me, and I'm just grateful to be here." 

Pro Football Focus credits Turner for having logged 1.789 defensive snaps in his career, and another 266 on special teams. He accumulated 148 total tackles with seven for loss, six interceptions, eight pass breakups and one fumble recovery along the way.

Turner has posted at least one interception in each season of his UW stint aside from 2023 — understandably, given his multiple hand injuries. 

While Turner made seven appearances as a fifth-year senior in 2023, only four occurred in the regular season, paving the way for his sixth season of eligibility to utilize in 2024. Turner's 2019 college enrollment awarded him an eligibility extension in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In addition to its four secondary transfer acquisitions this winter, UF signed cornerback Teddy Foster Jr. and safeties Josiah Davis and Gregory Smith III from the 2024 recruiting class in December, offering Harris' unit significant reinforcements as he takes it over. 

Find Florida's full log of transfer portal activity here. 

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