On Thursday evening, Florida completed its fourth veteran defensive back deal of the 2024 offseason, acquiring super senior Washington safety Asa Turner.
Turner’s move to Florida follows that of former Oregon cornerback Trikweze Bridges, former Tulane safety DJ Douglas, and Alabama cornerback signee Jameer Grimsley.
The three veteran defensive back additions bring a combined 58 starts and 131 games of experience to a Gators secondary that finished the 2023 season with two freshmen first-teamers, safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton, and lost three multi-year starters to the portal this offseason: Jalen Kimber, Jaydon Hill, and Miguel Mitchell.
Turner, a class of 2019 consensus four-star talent from Carlsbad, Calif., has 28 starts, dating back to his freshman season with the Huskies.
13 of those first-team appearances were made under the supervision of incoming Florida secondary coach Will Harris, who was the primary and assistant position coach for Washington’s defensive backs from 2018 to 21.
Turner’s most recent season was hampered by broken bones in both hands, which kept him out of Weeks 3-6 and 9-13. He returned to the starting lineup for Washington’s Pac-12 Championship triumph over Oregon, as well as its appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, when the Huskies lost to No. 1 Michigan.
“This has been a tough season injury-wise, but not too frustrating,” Turner told Inside the Huskies in December. “The team’s been doing well with or without me, and I’m just grateful to be here.”
Turner has 1.789 defensive snaps in his career and an additional 266 on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with 148 total tackles, including seven for loss, six interceptions, eight pass breakups, and one fumble recovery.
Turner has recorded at least one interception in each of his four seasons at Washington, with the exception of 2023, which is understandable considering his multiple hand ailments.
Turner made seven appearances as a fifth-year senior in 2023, but only four were during the regular season, allowing him to use his sixth season of eligibility in 2024. Turner’s 2019 college enrollment earned him an eligibility extension for 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
