2021 Recruiting Profile: Florida Gators Target DE Dallas Turner
Dallas Turner, Defensive end
School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
247Sports Composite Rating: Four stars, No. 2 WDE, No. 10 state (Fla.), No. 44 national
Recruitment History
As one of the more highly sought-after recruits in the nation, St. Thomas Aquinas product, defensive end Dallas Turner has had the attention of many major Division-I schools for quite some time. As for the Florida Gators, their pursuit would begin in 2019 after a visit and subsequent offer by the team during spring training.
Rated as a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports Composite, Turner has the accolades as one of the best defensive ends in the country. Currently, he is behind only Handley (Roanoke, AL) product Dylan Brooks as the second-best weakside defensive end prospect in the country.
For Florida, Turner has been recruited by defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and tight ends coach Tim Brewster. In his most-recent top-five, Turner listed the Gators, along with Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma and is set to make an announcement on his commitment on July 1st.
As an in-state student-athlete, Turner has a chance to stay closer to home. Transferring from American Heritage High School (Plantation, Fla) this year, Turner has a chance to showcase his talent at one of the best high schools in Florida. While he did not play with him, it is worth noting Turner will graduate from the same school as current Gators freshman linebacker Derek Wingo. He is also teammates with Gators 2021 defensive end commit Tyreak Sapp.
The Gators have consistently piqued Turner's interests as they've recruited him steadily since his offer in 2019, landing in the high-school athlete's top-10 in March.
In his recruitment history, Turner has received offers from 33 different universities and will decide between at least three SEC schools as indicated by his top-five released on June 23rd.
Where He Fits
The Gators find themselves in a very fortunate situation at defensive end for their 2021 recruiting class. However, they could look to add another BUCK rush end to the group to pair with Chief Borders. Currently, four-star strong side defensive ends, Sapp and Justus Boone, are slated to enroll at the university in 2021.
Turner would be one of the bookends for the class, absolutely, as he is thought of as one of the best quick-twitch defensive ends in the nation, currently. A fantastic athlete, Turner also lined up at wide receiver on occasion for American Heritage during his junior season.
At the defensive end position, it was easy to see why Turner is so highly thought of. During his junior season, Turner tallied 74 tackles (40 solos), 15 sacks and four forced fumbles. While the Gators have Wingo waiting in the wings as a freshman, they'll need to add some firepower as 2021 could be the final season for BUCK rusher Zachary Carter, who is set to replace Jonathan Greenard this season.
Given his tenacious playing style and speed off the edge, Turner projects to be a versatile chess-piece for Grantham and head coach Dan Mullen, able to play at outside linebacker in base situations if need be and converting down to a three-point stance or two-point stance getting after the quarterback in nickel situations early on in his career.
While the Gators will have plenty of 2021 targets to hang onto, Turner would be a perfect piece to add as the 2020 offseason continues to roll on.