'Chills!' Ole Miss CB Brandon Turnage Ready to Play in Hometown of Oxford

Ole Miss Rebels cornerback Brandon Turnage is back home for his final year of college football, and he is ready to show out for the crowd in Oxford.

Ole Miss cornerback Brandon Turnage during fall camp. / Ole Miss Athletics

Cornerback Brandon Turnage has made multiple stops along his college football journey, but he will finish his career as an Ole Miss Rebel.

Turnage, an Oxford native who played at Lafayette High School, originally signed with the Alabama Crimson Tide before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers where he spent the last three seasons. Now that he is back in his hometown, Turnage finds himself imagining what it will be like to take the field in front of the crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season.

He can't wait for the opportunity.

"I think about that every single day of the week," Turnage said this week in media availability. "Every day, I just kind of get chills thinking about the atmosphere, the crowd, knowing that I'll probably know a lot of people in the stands. I think about that daily.

"It's kind of something I knew I wanted to do, so I just made it happen."

Tennessee defensive back Brandon Turnage (8) celebrating after making a defensive stop against Missouri in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, November 12, 2022 in Knoxville, Tenn. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Turnage brings some previous experience with defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the Ole Miss defense. The two worked together on the field at Alabama, and the corner's knowledge of Golding's scheme seems to be helping not only himself adapt to the change, but other new faces on the defense as well.

"There are a ton of similarities," Turnage said. "It's almost an exact replica, but it is a little more simple, so that's good. I just try to help as much as I possibly can. Usually after I talk to guys, they probably have a better understanding of everything."

Turnage is just one of many transfers who joined the Rebels on defense this season, especially in the secondary. Other new names who will be patrolling the skies for Ole Miss this fall include CB Isaiah Hamilton and safeties Yam Banks and Key Lawrence.

The familiarity that Turnage brings to both Oxford and Golding's defense should be a benefit to these new players as they look to earn playing time and make an impact in what hopes to be a College Football Playoff season for the Rebels.

Turnage, who posted 48 total tackles and one interception while at Tennessee, will get his first opportunity to play in front of the Oxford crowd on Aug. 31 when Ole Miss hosts FCS Furman.