Indiana Football Lands Wake Forest Running Back Transfer Christian Turner

Former Wake Forest and Michigan running back Christian Turner is joining the Indiana football program for his final season of eligibility, he announced on Friday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Christian Turner announced via Twitter on Friday that he is transferring to Indiana for his final season of college football.

Turner is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound running back who rushed for 516 yards and seven touchdowns on 128 attempts for Wake Forest in 2022. He had a similar season for the Demon Deacons in 2021, carrying the ball 126 times for 506 yards and five touchdowns. He was also used sparingly in the passing game, hauling in nine passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons at Wake Forest.

Turner originally committed to Michigan, where he spent his first three years of college. He carried the ball 20 times for 95 yards as a true freshman in 2018, and gained 171 yards on 44 attempts with one touchdown as a sophomore. Across 318 rushes in 37 games for Michigan and Wake Forest, Turner averaged 4.1 yards per carry. He opted out of the 2020 season at Michigan due to COVID-19 concerns.

Turner attended Buford High School in the northeast suburbs of Atlanta, Ga. where he made a Class AAAAA runner-up finish in 2016 and state semifinal appearance in 2017. ESPN rated Turner as a four-star prospect and the No. 21 running back in the class of 2018. He chose Michigan over offers from Miami (FL), Michigan State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Wisconsin and others.

Joining the Indiana running back room, Turner figures to compete for carries with Jaylin Lucas and Josh Henderson. Lucas was named a first-team All-American kick returner as a true freshman, but also showed vast potential at running back with game-breaking speed and agility. Henderson transferred from North Carolina before the 2022 season and was a steady presence in the run and pass game. He carried the ball 90 times for 398 yards and four touchdowns and caught 24 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns. 

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