SI All-American Candidate Byron Turner Jr. Highlights and Evaluation

Byron Turner Jr. is a defensive end prospect from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, La. Turner is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Byron Turner Jr.
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 237 pounds 
Position: Defensive End 
School: New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine
Schools of Interest: Considering Florida, Arkansas, Baylor, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and others. 
Projected Position: Defensive End

Frame: Tall with broad shoulders and good length. Room to add mass throughout, particularly trunk and lower half. 

Athleticism: Quicker than fast athlete with some twitch on the outside. Short-area burst is borderline special including first step off the line from hand in the dirt or standup perspective. Has some space ability. 

Instincts: Nasty edge rusher with some bend and clear finishing power. Flirts with high pop upon contact, dangerous when it comes to penalties at the collegiate level, but flashes as tone-setter. Anticipates snap counts and pursues passer with plus awareness and length to affect passing lanes and/or maximize tackle radius. 

Polish: Bee-line player around the edge who can win with speed rush or counter with quickness underneath. Stab and dip move among the best in the region with redirection skills to maintain rushing lane responsibility thereafter. Lack of hand technique on tape. 

Bottom Line: Turner is an athletic specimen with pure pass rusher traits that fit any defense in the modern age of college football. He’s still light in his build and relatively raw in his technique, but he can win with an element that still resonates on the field - speed. Any advancement with size, strength and inside ability would get him on the field that much faster at the next level.