Better Know A Buckeye: Jamel Turner
Height: 6’2
Weight: 220lbs
40: 4.55
High School: Fork Union Military Academy; Fork Union, Virginia
His Recruitment: The earliest a college football prospect can receive a written scholarship offer is on September 1st of the prospect’s junior year. Therefore, having a breakout sophomore season is the perfect way to establish a groundswell of interest from fans and college coaches alike. Jamel Turner accomplished exactly this after his sophomore season in 2007 that saw him tally an outstanding 23 sacks. Far be it from me to attribute causality to any one person, place or thing, but I really think the corollary video from Scouting Ohio — the “23 sacks video” — played a large role in this groundswell of interest, at least at the level of the fans.
This sack tally and the manner by which he could attack downhill generated a lot of curiosity about Turner. This was only his sophomore year, but it was also his first full year of of high school football (he was injured midway through his freshman year). Moreover, Jamel demonstrated incredible prowess in track and field. In only his first go-around with hurdles, Jamel picked up a silver medal in the state meet with a time of 14.95 in the 110 hurdles… while running at 6’2 and 215lbs. As such, Jamel Turner was a topic for Buckeye fans interested in college football recruiting as it appeared that, with such amazing athleticism and still two years left of HS football, Jamel Turner may develop into the best in the state of Ohio. Interest in him began to accumulate from college football programs as well. Aside from the obvious MAC-school interest, programs like Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin were interested and extended verbal offers through the summer and early fall. The Buckeyes, who long knew about Jamel, extended a verbal scholarship offer in July 2008. As such, Jamel Turner was the first scholarship offer extended by the coaching staff for the class of 2010, preceding JT Moore who was the first commitment of the class.
The offer was one that Jamel Turner always wanted. While most recruits play a poker face, are courteous, and say they are “wide open” to people who ask them about nascent preferences, Jamel had made other pronouncements during 2008 that indicated Ohio State was his first preference. However, with a busy schedule in the fall of 2008, Jamel decided to not put too much emphasis on recruiting. That said, he did manage to sneak a visit to the 2008 Penn State game1. The Buckeyes lost that game, the first home loss to Penn State since the Nitts joined the Big Ten, but the visit strengthened the interest in the Buckeyes. Jamel managed to see some other places throughout 2008, including Illinois, Penn State, Notre Dame and Wisconsin, but the atmosphere at that game made a strong impression. Things remained relatively quiet as Jamel’s Ursuline Fighting Irish focused on their undefeated 2008 season, which culminated in a Division V state championship over Findlay Liberty-Benton. In the aftermath of that game, Jamel gave the following interview that should have left little doubt about where Jamel wanted to play college football.
His Commitment: Jamel’s school announced there would be a press conference on December 16, 2008. Therein, Jamel would announce his college choice. It was not surprising that the selection made was Ohio State. In fact, Jamel had made the decision weeks earlier but remained mum on the topic.
“I decided a few weeks back and I told my football coach and he said he would call the meeting and we would do it today… I had my mind made up before. I just wasn’t telling anybody,” he said. “I wanted to wait for the right time, and I felt that right time was now.”
The reasoning behind the decision is largely standard fare for Ohio kids who commit so early into the process.
“It’s just that I’ve been to a number of places in the past season and through the summer and Ohio State was just the best feel for me,” he said. “That’s pretty much why I chose them. I have a good relationship with the coaches, and then the fact that this is my home school and I feel more at home at the campus than any of the other ones I went to.”
With his future destination set, Jamel now had ample time to play basketball and run hurdles for his high school. The second commitment of the 2010 class, Jamel Turner’s decision had Buckeye fans thinking they had likely the state’s top prospect in his class all locked up.
A Detour to Fork Union: Jamel’s story does not end there, however. Message board chatter in the spring of 2009 intimated that Jamel Turner was in serious jeopardy of having his scholarship pulled at Ohio State. Duane Long thought Jamel would never suit up in scarlet and gray because of it. Details were hard to come by (and still are), but gradually we learned that Jamel’s troubles were multifaceted. In the academic realm, he was not showing up for classes and not completing assignments. In the other (but related) behavioral realm, he had developed a serious attitude problem that made him insufferable to the high school basketball coach. All told, the consequences were staggering: he was kicked off the basketball team by his head coach and lost all eligibility to play sports in the state of Ohio. A silver medalist in hurdles, he was not allowed to compete in track and field as a junior.
Ken Gordon’s article on the matter, just linked, mentions some of the details at this crucial juncture.
“Sometimes in life, you have obstacles,” Turner said. “We all make bad decisions and make mistakes, but it’s what you do after that.”
Neither Turner nor those around him will discuss his family situation in any detail, but it is clear that he never had a strong father figure, and there were other negative influences, as well.
Instability at home manifested itself in immaturity and fits of temper, even as he led Ursuline to the 2008 Division V state championship, following up his 23-sack season in 2007 with another 18 sacks.
In December 2008, he became the first player to commit to Ohio State’s 2010 class. But a month later, Ursuline basketball coach Keith Gunther had had enough of Turner’s attitude.
“There were a couple incidents — nothing criminal, but when things didn’t go his way, he would react very emotionally and just go off,” Gunther said. “At the time, Jamel was living with me, he was basically like a son to me [emphasis mine]. And I told him, ‘I’m going to treat you as if you were my own son,’ and I kicked him off the team.
“The biggest reason I did it was Jamel was a big-time football player who probably thought he was bigger than life. I wanted to wake him up.”
Said Turner: “That hurt a lot, but he did what he had to do.”
By spring, Turner’s grades had declined to the point where he could not play sports in Ohio the next fall.
Importantly, Ohio State had not yanked their scholarship offer to him. However, a scholarship offer from Ohio State would serve little purpose if Jamel did not make some serious adjustments to the present situation. The obvious solution appeared to be one of the military prep schools. All hope was not lost, but Jamel was clearly behind the 8-ball. Attending a school like Valley Forge or Fork Union would serve wonders should Jamel capitalize on the opportunity that such a rigid structure and emphasis on focus, discipline can afford. Initial speculation had him enrolling at Valley Forge, but the decision was eventually made for Fork Union.
It appears that the decision was the right one for everyone involved. Enrolling in a military academy out of state allowed Jamel to continue playing football while instilling in him a strict regimen in order to make sure his priorities were in order at all times. Jamel explains:
“Fork Union definitely helped me out as far as grades-wise and school and they also helped me out in putting me in an environment to where I can focus in on the things I have to do in the real world… Fork Union brought a lot of the real world characteristics into my life because next year I’ll have to be doing a lot studying and getting used to a whole new life on campus that I’ve never experienced before. Fork Union is just a small preview of that… We get up at 6 every morning and on the weekends we get up at 7. You start early and you don’t go to sleep till 10.”
It appears that Jamel is on his way to actualizing his goal of being a Buckeye, which is in large part possible because of the work that Jamel and his support system of coaches (at Ursuline and Fork Union) have put into him as well as the coaching staff’s continued blessings. While I believe, or at least have reason to believe, the Ohio State coaching staff indicated that there was much work to be done by Jamel, they never once unconditionally withdrew their offer. As such, Jamel remained committed to Ohio State as they remained committed to him. Other suitors entered the fray very late in the game, hoping that Jamel may have wavered on Ohio State. This was not the case.
“(Coach Jim) Tressel is a good man, and he stands by his word. So I’m going to stand by my word, and we’re going to get it done.”
Jamel eventually made good on his December 2008 verbal commitment by signing his letter of intent last month. Presently, it seems all is set for Jamel to enroll at Ohio State.
Where He Excels: Jamel was being discussed as one of the state of Ohio’s elite talents in the 2010 class before being detoured to Fork Union. Rivals.com lists him as the 11th best talent in the state of Virginia (where Fork Union is) for the 2010 class, which falls short of expectations that developed around him after his sophomore season. Still a 4-star, I wonder if the relatively meager hype around him nowadays belies just how much he is capable of accomplishing at Ohio State. For example, Rivals.com bumped Jamel Turner from his spot in their top 30 nationally and did so explicitly because of his off-the-field problems. In fact, they appeared to remove him their top 250 outright. In some sense this appears reasonable. Jamel’s predicament that emerged in May 2009 does not facilitate entry into summer football camps and advanced camps, which is where a college football hopeful can receive some quality instruction, generate more intrigue and better his lot when it’s time to sign a letter of intent.
Jamel may be a 5-star in athletic prowess alone. “Freak” is probably a cliché in discussing high school football stars with great athletic abilities, but it seems appropriate for Jamel. After all, he was a runner-up in state meets in hurdles, after never having attempted hurdles, while measuring 6’2 and over 200lbs. Further, the 4.55 40 time listed by Bucknuts does not appear to be a misprint. The sophomore season highlight clip highlights what’s possible for the young man who played most every position conceivable for him at Ursuline and Fork Union. At Ursuline, he was a defensive end, tight end and wide receiver. At Fork Union, he was a linebacker and safety. In all occasions, on defense, he demonstrated a great acceleration. As soon as the ball is snapped, he is flying to the quarterback. Further, he demonstrates a very good lateral agility and ability to make his second move before the offensive lineman in question has made his first. A great closing speed allows Jamel to move in for the kill, underscoring how he can tally over 40 sacks in two years at Ursuline even when teams would double or triple team Jamel (especially in his junior year).
All considered, I really think Jamel would thrive more as a jack linebacker in a 3-4 system. Knowing that Ohio State only runs a wrinkle of that, it seems apparent to me that Jamel is more the LEO-type defensive end (Thaddeus Gibson’s position) than JT Moore.
Must Work On: There is not a lot I can contribute here since, as far as I know, there is no film available of Jamel Turner playing football at Fork Union and I do not know the caliber of competition for Fork Union. Most everything I’ve read about Jamel says he’s a combination of coachable and raw, even offering seemingly contradictory statements about him on that topic. Since Jamel lost time to injury as a freshman, lost valuable camp time in the summer of 2009 (I think), and spent much of his one year at Fork Union playing more than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, there will probably be a learning curve playing for Jim Heacock at Ohio State.
Redshirt? Jamel says that he is not approaching his freshman year like it is a redshirt year. He hopes to earn the immediate playing time that every incoming college football player desires. However, considering the depth chart on the defensive line and Jamel’s backstory, I think a redshirt could do a lot of good for him.
Highlights: As far as I know, nothing is available from his senior season at Fork Union. The sophomore clip was made available above and the following is a junior year video from when he was still at Ursuline.
Miscellany:
- Missing Jamel Turner may have been a big blow for the Ursuline Fighting Irish, but they did repeat as state champions in 2009.
- I have not seen a box score of the 2008 state championship game aganist Findlay Liberty-Benton, but I believe the quarterback that Jamel was terrorizing was Aaron Craft. Craft, a standout football player for that Liberty-Benton team, may be a name more familiar with those who follow Ohio State shooty hoops. He is part of the Super Six recruiting class for Thad Matta, forgoing his senior year of football at Liberty-Benton to focus on basketball. This article seems to coincide with my hunch.
- I am feeling a little lazy and do not want to look through the past recruiting classes to confirm this, but I think he is the last recruit from Ursuline since… wait for it… Louis Irizarry. Jamel did have a teammate named Nico Irizarry.
- Technically, Jamel is not a “recruit from Ursuline” since he finished at Fork Union, but I couldn’t resist.
- Jamel prefers the number 11 in part because of his twin brother, Jamal. Believing that both are number in the world, together, the juxtaposition of those “number ones” results in the number 11. That said, it is not a big issue for Jamel and Jamel wore #9 for Fork Union.
- It may be fair to wonder if Jamel will slip back into bad habits outside the military academy setting. Fork Union’s coach believes otherwise:
“He has not had a (behavior) demerit since he has been here. He is now a cadet non-commissioned officer in our corps. He has been a leader off the field. He’s doing the tough things really well right now.
“The kid is really smart. When you’re in a situation where somebody is maybe not telling you to go to school or do your work and you’re 16 or 17 years old, that can be a bad situation for you. We want to get him out of school, get him his diploma, get him eligible and get him to Ohio State. I think he will do fine there.”
- Jamel resumed running hurdles at Fork Union. Therein, he ran a 7.83 in the 55 hurdles in the league championships. According to his high school football coach, who doubles as Fork Union’s athletic director, Jamel clocked the ninth-fastest time in the 55 hurdles in the entire country. I’m not sure if that time is it, but still. Yowza.
- Jamel remarked how surreal it was to be in a place so remote that the football field is adjacent to a grazing pasture for cows. Amidst the change in scenery, Jamel developed a curious habit that I am absolutely thrilled to read.
“I keep my face in a book. For some reason I’ve developed a lust for reading. I love to read. I’ll read anything. I love to read, that’s probably the biggest attribute I gained down here.”
- Pre-compiled stats, courtesy of Bucknuts.
As a senior, he helped Fork Union post a 7-4 record as he played at linebacker, defensive end and safety. He had 66 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions in earning all-state honors. In two previous years at Ursuline, he notched 40-plus sacks, including 23 as a sophomore. As a junior, he helped lead Ursuline to a 15-0 record and the Division V state title. He had 7-1/2 tackles and 1-1/2 sacks in the title game. He projects as a defensive end or outside linebacker at OSU. He also placed second at the state track meet in the hurdles as a sophomore.
I think Jamel Turner is now better known.
I think it would be appropriate to put him on the board.
| Class of 2010 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Hometown | Better Known? | Name | Position | Hometown | Better Known? |
| Darryl Baldwin | DE | Solon, OH | James Louis | WR | Delray Beach, FL | ||
| Drew Basil | K | Chillicothe, OH | Scott McVey | LB | Cleveland, OH | ||
| Corey Brown 2010 | ATH | Springfield, PA | JT Moore | DE | Youngstown, OH | 02.15 | |
| Christian Bryant | DB | Cleveland, OH | Andrew Norwell | OL | Cincinnati, OH | ||
| David Durham | LB/DE | Charlotte, NC | Verlon Reed | ATH | Columbus, OH | ||
| Taylor Graham | QB | Wheaton, IL | Bradley Roby | DB | Suwanee, GA | ||
| Adam Griffin | ATH | Columbus, OH | Roderick Smith | RB | Fort Wayne, IN | ||
| Chad Hagan | LB/S | Canonsburg, PA | Jamel Turner | DE | Fork Union, VA | 03.08 | |
| Johnathon Hankins | DT | Detroit, TSUN | Tyrone Williams | WR | Cleveland, OH | ||
| Carlos Hyde | RB | Naples, FL | 06.29.09 | ||||
- He also visited Notre Dame when they hosted Michigan in September 2008. [↩]
Written by: Vico |
Nice bio, Vico, thank you. Seems that we can use him in a couple different positions.
Well done again Vico…………Very much looking forward to the rest of these……….