Shemar Turner opens up on why he originally chose to play for Texas A&M

Shemar Turner is already impressing in his third year at Texas A&M. He was named one of two defensive MVPs during Saturday’s spring game, sharing the honor alongside safety Bryce Anderson. Jimbo Fisher has brought in a deep defensive line group to College Station but Turner has the ability to be the cream of the crop.

Flashing back to the recruiting process, Turner was a big win for Jimbo Fisher. Texas was seriously chasing after him while Alabama, Georgia, and LSU were considered as well. Getting a player of his caliber on campus instantly boosts a position group. Fisher has nobody but his staff to thank for ultimately landing Turner.

“I chose A&M because the relationship me and the coaches have are like no other,” Turner said. “They were always honest with me. They kept it 100 with me the whole recruiting process. And surprisingly, A&M wasn’t even a school I was planning on going to before. Just, being around the coaches, talking to some of the players — it was amazing.”

Turner played high school football at DeSoto (TX) High School, where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 13 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

DeSoto players translating well at Texas A&M was another piece of the equation in Turner’s recruitment. Both Von Miller and Tony Jerod-Eddie have left the Dallas-area high school football powerhouse for College Station and turned themselves into NFL-caliber players. And in the case of Miller, one of the best players in the league.

“Von and Tony — you already know the DeSoto pipeline to A&M,” Turner said. “That did influence it a little bit. Because, I am not going to lie. Tony and Von, everybody from DeSoto that came here has made it to the big leagues. Everybody chased their dreams in the NFL.”

In two seasons with Texas A&M, Turner has recorded 46 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.0 sacks. His development has come along nicely and is now performing well in spring practice.

If the trend continues, Turner has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Miller and Jerod-Eddie by becoming the latest from DeSoto to make a name for himself in the NFL. At least one more quality season will be required with the Aggies before he can test the professional waters.