Veteran Washington DB transfer Asa Turner commits to Florida

The Florida Gators have added another transfer and this one should give them a much-needed boost in the secondary. Washington safety transfer Asa Turner, an experienced and talented defensive back, has committed to Billy Napier’s program.

Turner, listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, will head to Florida as a graduate transfer.

He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Turner was with the Huskies for five seasons and played in 43 games. He started the first two games in 2023 before missing the next three with an injury. Per his official Washington Huskies bio, Turner “played in just four games in the regular season, thus preserving one year of eligibility.” He was a Pro Football Focus third-team Preseason All-Pac-12 selection.

Turner’s most productive season came in 2022 when he recorded a career-best 52 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3 pass breakups.

As a recruit, he played at Carlsbad (Calif.) and was a 4-star prospect.

Turner is transfer portal pickup No. 11 for the Gators this offseason. And, he is the second big get for secondary coach Will Harris just in the past few days. Alabama corner transfer Jameer Grimsley publicly committed to the Gators on Sunday.

Turner is the No. 5 safety in the On3 transfer portal rankings.

Harris, who coached Turner for three seasons at Washington, is a big reason why Turner now will be a Gator.

“We’ve got a good relationship going,” Turner told Gators Online. “Obviously, he has only been there a couple months. He’s still fresh to it, but he likes it there. Obviously, it’s the SEC. I’ve never been part of it. Me and him together, it would definitely be a challenge. I just know the opportunity that comes with that would be a pretty cool experience.”

Thank you God🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/07apMW0zxH

— Asa (@asaspades808) January 26, 2024

Asa Turner had a productive career in Washington

Here’s more from his Washington bio:

2023: Played in seven games, starting six, in 2023 … played in just four games in the regular season, thus preserving one year of eligibility … started the first two games of the season before missing the next three due to injury … made five tackles, including two for a loss, in the UW’s season-opening win over Boise State … one stop in the win over Tulsa … returned to action in the UW’s win over No. 8 Oregon, when he finished with seven tackles … returned to his starting roll in the win over Arizona State, notching five tackles … missed the final five games of the regular season due to injury … returned to action in the Pac-12 Championship Game win over No. 5 Oregon, notching two tackles … five tackles and a fumble recovery vs. No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl … one stop vs. Michigan in the CFP Championship Game.

He started games every season in Seattle

2022: Played in 10 games, starting nine, in 2022 … fourth on team with 52 total tackles despite missing three games due to injury … recorded two interceptions – one of them on the very first play of the season – in a start vs. Kent State, when he also made five tackles … three tackles in a start vs. Portland State … missed next three games due to injury … returned to action at Arizona State, where he had two tackles …

Rreturned to his starting free safety spot in the win over Arizona, recording two tackles … had five tackles in a start at California … made six stops in the win over Oregon State … career-high 12 tackles in the win at Oregon … three tackles in the win over Colorado … five tackles, one of them for loss, in the win at Washington State … five tackles in the Alamo Bowl win over Texas … named the UW coaches’ defensive skill player of the week after the wins over Kent State and Oregon State.

2021: Named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 team … played in 10 games, starting four … missed the Stanford and Oregon games due to injury … two tackles at Michigan … four stops in the win vs. Arkansas State … had an interception (returned for 18 yards) and one tackle at Oregon State … six tackles, including one for a loss, in a start vs. UCLA … in a start at Arizona, had nine total tackles and an interception on the game’s final play … three tackles vs. Arizona State … five tackles, including one for a loss, in a start at Colorado … had four tackles in the Apple Cup.

The 2020 season does not count against Asa Turner’s eligibility

2020: Started all four games of the 2020 season … named to the 2020 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll … five tackles and an interception vs. Oregon State … two tackles and a pass break-up in the win over Arizona … had six tackles in the comeback win over Utah … four tackles vs. Stanford.

2019: Played in 12 of 13 games (all but vs. Cal) and started five games … saw action in the Huskies’ win over Eastern Washington … made one tackle in the UW win over Hawai’i … made his first interception in the win at BYU … two tackles, including one for a loss, in the victory over USC … three tackles at Stanford … earned his first start at Arizona, where he had four tackles, including one for a loss … started vs. Oregon and had two stops … two tackles in a start against Utah … one tackle at Oregon State … three stops at Colorado … one tackle in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Boise State.