Southern Miss Transfer DT Jacques Turner Commits to Louisville

The former First Team All-Conference USA selection has chosen to play his final season with the Cardinals.

(Photo of Jacques Turner: Cam Bonelli - Hattiesburg American, Hattiesburg American via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former Southern Miss defensive tackle Jacques Turner has committed to the Louisville football program, he announced Sunday.

Turner didn't spend much out on the open market, as he entered the portal this past Thursday before committing to the Cardinals three days later. He had originally entered the portal in January after a change in coaching staff with the Golden Eagles, but withdrew his name to give the new regime a chance, and even participated in spring ball.

The 6-foot-1, 289-pound defensive lineman sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but by that point, he had already proven himself. He was named a First Team All-Conference USA selection as a sophomore in 2018, and was elected All-Conference USA Freshman Team in 2017.

During his most recent campaign, 2019, he logged 46 total tackles (23 solo), 13.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. During his First Team All-CUSA year in 2018, he tallied 33 tackles (19 solo), 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. He redshirted in 2016, then had 21 tackles (12 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2017.

The D'lberville, Miss. native will be an instant impact on the line for Louisville, and could even start day one at nose tackle. Louisville had an open competition at that spot during the spring after starter Jared Goldwire departed for the NFL, and head coach Scott Satterfield even said that he would still be scouring the transfer portal for an additional player at nose.

"We have some guys, we got some young guys , and some little bit lighter guys we can put in there," he said in March. "But if there's something out there that we can find that's a 290, 300, 310-pound nose to kind of bring some experience in, we'd like to maybe do that."

Turner is expected to arrive on campus this summer, and will have one year of eligibility left. Louisville will kickoff the 2021 season against Ole Miss in the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, Sept. 6.

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