Shemar Turner Shares Motivations For Returning to Texas A&M Over Entering NFL Draft

Texas A&M Aggies star Shemar Turner had a chance to head to the NFL this spring. Instead, he is returning to College Station, thanks in large part to Mike Elko.

Nov 12, 2022; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) is shoved to the ground by Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner (5) during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare stadium. Turner was flagged for a personal foul, giving Auburn a first down. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports / John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS - The Texas A&M Aggies faced a lot of turnover this offseason, with an entirely new coaching staff and over 40 new players on the roster via the NCAA Transfer Portal and 2024 recruiting cycle.

Not to mention, some of their best players heading to the NFL Draft.

Fortunately, they also had some key contributors elect to return to Aggieland, including defensive lineman Shemar Turner, who spoke on his decision and the role new head coach Mike Elko played in it during SEC Media Days last week.

Nov 12, 2022; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) is shoved to the ground by Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Turner (5) during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare stadium. Turner was flagged for a personal foul, giving Auburn a first down. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports / John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

"One, was having a conversation with my mother and how me and her wanted to come up with a plan for me to graduate before I left college. So getting my Aggie ring and my degree was a big part of me coming back here to A&M," Turner said. "And two was the conversations I had with (Mike) Elko. Everything he was saying was making sense. I had stuff on and off the field to fix to higher my draft grade. If I can boost my stock in any kind of way, come back and do better, I will."

Now heading into this season, Turner has every chance to achieve both of those goals.

As for Elko, the return of Turner was a huge win, as he now gets to deploy one of the best defensive lines in the SEC in Year 1 of his tenure.

Although Turner's role is set to be much different after his move from the edge to the interior of the defensive line.

That move was made possible with the addition of Nick Scourton from Purdue via the NCAA Transfer Portal, and gives Turner a chance to improve his draft prospects heading into his final year.

"He wants to showcase teams that he can play in a lot of different roles. That was a big reason why he came back to that spot was so that he could become a flexible player," Elko said. "I think he's going to be a plus player for us at defensive tackle. He has tremendous take-off, he's extremely physical, he's played an awful lot of football. And I think he's in better physical shape than he has been in in his career. It's going to be exciting to watch."