Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/79477
Stars Align Between John Turner And Notre Dame FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY LOU SOMOGYI The Magazine had the following blurb: "Brian Kelly and Frank Beamer coached 15 2-star play- ers from 2006-2010. All 15 were taken in the NFL Draft." While the wording was a lit- N ear the end of the 2012 foot- ball recruiting cycle, ESPN tle nebulous — Kelly certainly had more than 15 two-star pros- pects at both Central Michigan (2006) and Cincinnati (2007-09) — it reaffirmed the pride Kelly and Beamer, the head coach at Virginia Tech, take in player de- velopment. Among Kelly's former two- son, he just filled out and thick- ened out, put on about 15 or 20 pounds," explained Cathedral head coach Rick Streiff, who has led the program to four 4A state titles the past six years. "He had always been a tall, might have been perceived as a two-star prior to his senior year at Indianapolis Cathedral. "At the end of his junior sea- star prospects who made the Pro Bowl this year were for- mer Central Michigan offensive lineman Joe Staley and former Cincinnati defensive end Con- nor Barwin (now an outside linebacker). Indianapolis Cathedral safety skinny kid, and now he's a tall, thick, long good-looking kid. The MAC schools started com- ing in and the Big Ten schools started to pick up. Notre Dame got involved in the summer time." The Irish were intrigued John Turner is the type of di- amond-in-the-rough prospect Kelly and his staff have made a strong living off of in their careers. Recruited mainly by MAC schools Turner is rated as a three-star recruit, the No. 5 player in Indiana and the No. 31 safety in the land by 247Sports. after his junior season and listed with a 40 time as low as 4.81, Turner and started the last two at safety and cornerback at state superpower India- napolis Cathedral, which won the Indiana 4-A state football title in three of his four seasons, including his two years as a starter … Among the talent the school has produced are former Boston College star linemen Mathias Kiwanuka (New York Giants) and Jeremy Trueblood (Tampa Bay Bucs), who were first- and second-round draft picks … A 2005 AAU national champion in Taekwondo at a tournament held in Greensboro, N.C. … Plans to major in economics. Rankings: A consensus three-star prospect by all the major recruiting 6-0 • 206 • Cathedral • Indianapolis Notable: Born on June 10, 1994 …. Lettered three seasons with the varsity services … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 5 player in Indiana and the No. 31 safety nationally … Listed by Scout.com as the No. 48 safety in the country … Tabbed as the No. 17 recruit in Indiana and the No. 62 safety in the land by ESPNU … Rivals.com rates him as the 15th-best prospect in the state … SuperPrep classifies him as 62nd-best player in the Midwest. Statistics: Credited with 49 tackles and six passes broken up as a senior de- June 23, where his performance landed him a scholarship offer … Went to Northwestern's camp the next day before returning later in the week to Notre Dame to tell the Irish staff he was committing to them. Brian Kelly's Comments: "Well coached, very disciplined. The high school demands excellence on a day-to-day basis … we really loved him in person and in personal workouts, and he carried that on to the field." as the first-team defensive back on the Associated Press Indiana Class 4A all- state squad and the Indianapolis Star all-city team in 2011. All-Star Games & Camps: Attended Notre Dame's one-day camp last fensive back for 12-3 Cathedral as a senior during state title run … In another state title campaign in 2010, he recorded 55 tackles and four interceptions. Honors: Named to the Indianapolis Star Super Team for 2011 … Selected www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DB JOHN TURNER PHOTO COURTESTY 247SPORTS You never know just what might be in the "stars." ✦ Cathedral Head Coach Rick Streiff's Comments: "He might fill out to be a linebacker defending the flat [Dog at Notre Dame] because he plays pretty well in space, he's strong and he's a good tackler. He might end up playing more in the front seven." Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report: "He's better than I thought, and he's done well in Indianapolis. He's a good, solid player, not an impact player." Recruitment: Pursued mainly by Mid-American Conference schools after his junior season, he began to draw some interest from a few Big Ten schools and Notre Dame after adding weight to his physique … Took unofficial visits to Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State before jumping at the opportunity to attend Notre Dame following his one-day camp with the Irish June 23 … Took his official visit Dec. 9 for the Football Awards Show … Primary recruiter was defensive line coach/special teams coordinator Mike Elston. Favorite Part of Notre Dame Visit: "Everything. I can't pick out one thing. I did like how at the Awards Show that on the video even the parents of seniors who didn't play a lot were really happy that their sons were a part of Notre Dame. I think that speaks highly of the university." Why He Chose Notre Dame: "I felt it was the best opportunity for me to enough to invite him up to their one-day camp June 23 to get a gauge of his "measur- ables." When Turner clocked a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.13 in the pro-shuttle and a 34-inch vertical jump, a scholarship offer was quickly extended, and three days later Turner re- turned to the campus to offi- cially accept. grow up as an adult and experience new things in my life." Scouting Report: Gets out of backpedal well and closes on ball quickly … Sound open-field tackler, which helps on special teams … Sometimes gets into back-pedal a bit early and will need to work on planting to have better pursuit angles. 2012 Projection: Special teams work is not out of the question, but a red- shirt season might be in the offing while staff tries to find niche for him either as safety or future drop outside linebacker candidate. MARCH 2012 47