Justin Turner to Transfer
See? Grim.
That rumor metastasized quickly: Tim reports that Dave Ablauf has just read a statement that Justin Turner has asked for and received his release to transfer. I blame myself for suggesting that this offseason had been a relatively tranquil one when it came to things that mattered.
It sounds like the 11 pounds Turner put on in the offseason were not the good variety, and that he was never in a position where he was physically ready to play because of sheer lack of desire. Odd for that to happen with a corner—usually it's linemen battling to stay under 350 that wash out because they're not interested in keeping up with the work.
Impact on the team bit: losing Turner is a terrible blow to a secondary short on everything; beyond the starters at corner Michigan has three freshmen, one of them highly touted and the other two middling three-stars, and vagabond James Rogers. Corner's the worst spot on the team to suffer attrition. Turner was a near five-star coming out of high school who killed people at the Army game; his disappearance from Michigan without so much as playing a snap ranks up there with the most disappointing recruiting flameouts ever.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
exactly. I went to Mgoblog and actually thought, " I bet we finally some some good news." The first thing I see is that Turner is leaving. WTF?
August 11th, 2010 at 12:59 PM ^
If he is struggling academically, I can certainly understand. If it's personal/family reasons, wants to be closer to home, I can certainly understand. If he can't handle (or doesn't want to endure) the S&C program, I can certainly understand. But, if he wants to start yet he can't even crack into UM's two-deep at CB, what other big-time program can he transfer to and expect to jump into the starting lineup? This is perplexing.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
The guy is not 250 trying to play corner. Was it a Playstation summer of no running? I can't imagine the guy going all jello at 190. This is mind boggling to even try to comprehend. I don't see how you can go so quickly from a highly regarded athlete to not having any football shape at such a young age (not the 36 year old beat up NFL vet).
August 11th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^
Being in shape is alot more than muscles vs. fat. Maybe he couldn't run 15 yards without taking a break, maybe he was much slower than last year. Maybe the added 12 lbs was just fat and no muscle. Or he could just have zero interest in playing football.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:00 PM ^
A sharp stick in the eye might've been more welcome than this latest bad news about our top CB recruit. Ciccoco, then Dorsey, then Turner?
RR's future now hinges squarely on Woolfolk and Floyd's health, and Cullen Christian having a Chad Henne level freshman campaign...
Wow.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
So far, as far as I'm concerned Rodriguez and Michigan have been spot on with these players. It may be unfortunate but look where Cissoko is now. Last I heard Dorsey is still not playing and Turner... It remains to be seen, but judging from last years performance it is not looking good.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^
Turner was my favorite recruit from his class. This just sucks...
August 11th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
My depression continues to reach new lows. 2 years and counting.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^
good riddance. Addition by subtraction. He is a fat ass, lazy cancer who was never going to see the field. Heck, he was on the scout team last season. He takes off plays. True frosh are more productive than turner. I am happy at this news. We are losing dead weight.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:06 PM ^
August 11th, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^
Since last season he had walk ons starting ahead of him....how is this any different. Dead weight.. You are either part of the solution or the problem. JT was part of the problem big time. good riddance.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:28 PM ^
That's fine, and I agree that it's better not to have an unmotivated, apathetic player around polluting the locker room atmosphere. But the transfer dashes any hopes that he may yet live up to his potential and the psychological security of having a serviceable player at a position of need. This is not good news; it's merely the end of a saga that has been one big piece of bad news.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^
he showed up last season out of shape and the same thing happened this summer. Sometimes you can lead a horse to water. JT is one of those. Booo hooo he didn't live up to his potential. What pry tell was there any evidence he was ever going to live up to his potential after last season when he was on the scout team?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:06 PM ^
You'd be the only one. It's never a good thing to lose 5* player, no matter how unproductive he's been to this point.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^
seriously, it is like you guys thought this guy was magically going to be a lock down corner. Last season he was a cancer, and guess what, he is still a cancer. Do I live in a different realm of reality?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:21 PM ^
seriously, it is like you guys thought this guy was magically going to be a lock down corner. Last season he was a cancer, and guess what, he is still a cancer. Do I live in a different realm of reality?
It isn't like being named a 5 star recruit was going to magically turn him into Woodson. the star system just rates potential. He wasn't living up to his potential last season. He was on the scout team.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^
he was what last season, redshirt sophmore, junior? how'd he do in spring practice last year?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:38 PM ^
redshirt freshman that started then his piss poor attitude got him demoted to the scout team, where he remained. He sucked in spring practice.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:23 PM ^
wrong
you would think that someone who is expounding as you are about his "lack of development" would know that he was a TRUE freshman last year, who in fact didnt arrive until a few days into fall camp
and i dont think he ever started, not sure if he even saw the field, considering he never burned his redshirt
might want to know what you are talking about before you make such a scene
which spring practices did you attend?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^
The Rivals and Scouts and other talent scouts should be able to prognosticate and extrapolate, should they not, when a player arrives on campus as a true frosh and already is too slow for safety and not agile enough for corner?
These publications make a ton of money from info-thirsty college fans. You'd think they could make these diagnoses and downgrade the star ratings and hype accordingly.
Another, completely different example is Schilling. Guy was a 5* even though everyone knew he basically didn't know how to pass-block. Should a 5* be spectabular in everything, virtually ready to go? Only reason Schilling has played so much is because OL cupboard was so woeful going back to mid 2000s. But clearly he wasn't ready to play in 2007 at all (yet started almost every game), nor really even in 2008. 5 stars? C'mawn. I give him great credit now for his diligence, etc, and hope he has an All-American year, I really do. My beef isn't with him in this case, it's with these recruiting services that build up our hopes. And when they're dashed, a la today with JT, many are livid "because he was a five-star talent," etc.
Maybe he wasn't. Check -- clearly he wasn't.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^
You expect the odd 5* bust, just like you expect the odd sleeper to become a star. They balance themselves out. But when you're down, and you have LOTS of "sleeper" caliber players, you really need every star guy you can snatch to come through. Because if one doesn't, you're expecting twice as many sleepers to be stars, and even Rich can't be THAT good at picking them out. No one is.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:10 PM ^
Obviously no one wants a football player who doesn't want to be a football player. But a blue-chip recruit turning into an epic bust before even playing a single down is hardly good news.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:30 PM ^
it is true that a player with his potential being a bust is never a good thing, but in a year with so few scholarships to give we can at least hope that we get somebody who materializes that potential, like an extra OL in this years recruiting class. there are positives that come out of this if and only if this season isn't marred by injuries.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^
he had walkons ahead of him last season, and looks like the same happened this season. We can now sign one extra OL. It looks like we are going to have an excellent OL class.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:15 PM ^
1. He did not have walk-ons ahead of him. He was listed at corner. Those walk-ons were playing safety.
2. He is still a 19 year old kid that only had one full year in the program. It does take some people longer to mature and understand they need to work harder in order to reach their goals. It is possible he could of done that in the next 3-4 years and reached his potential.
3. You are acting like an idiot.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:37 PM ^
Addition by subtraction is accurate- his jersey number was going to be negative two.
August 12th, 2010 at 9:27 PM ^
from th inside scoop it seemed like he was more favored to start then the walk-ons or freshmen A fat ass lazy cancer, well i do believe that being 200 pounds is far from fat, he didnt play last season dick cause he was red-shirted so how was he supposed to play i believe thats against NCAA Rule........... how can u be happy to lose a 5* recruit, the kid has talent....................... LETS GET IT J.T.!
August 12th, 2010 at 9:30 PM ^
How are you related to Justin? Cousin? Brother?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:04 PM ^
Michigan Safety Hating God.
Yes?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
I couldn't help but read the headline multiple times to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong. This is horrible. It makes me downright sick to think that because of laziness he's giving up the opportunity to play for the most prestigious football program in the country. When your given the #2 jersey and compared to Charles Woodson how does that not motivate you?
The talent this kid had coming out of high school was simply remarkable for a CB his size. I wish him the best of luck wherever he goes.
::: On a side note. I would really like to see the #2 jersey become heralded like the #1 jersey is for WR's. But of course the #2 jersey only can go to a CB. The best CB who has proven himself to be a part of the very best to wear the winged helmet should be awarded the privilege to wear it.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:06 PM ^
Cullen Christian - time to step it up.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
he never sniffed the field last year in a horrible secondary. If after summer workouts he looked like an out of shape Gary Coleman he might as well transfer and save himself some on the field Cissoko level embarassment.
I think we now know where Troy W's comments were focused; on Tate...not so much.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
I seem to remember Sam Webb talking about how much Turner liked how Michigan's coaches/strength staff got "so much out of everyone." It just seems odd that someone with that kind of attitude during his recruitment would end up like this.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
I think there's more to this story. Players just don't transfer because they're not in shape. And really, how out of shape can you be when you're 6'2" and weigh less than 200 pounds?
August 11th, 2010 at 3:43 PM ^
in a D1 football practice
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
When one door closes, another opens. Cullen Christian is now guaranteed to see the field this year. If Floyd is up to the challenge of starting, Cullen will still see reps as the #3 CB and be the #1 CB in 2011 when he replaces Troy. Or, if Cullen can shine like so many UofM true freshman Cornerbacks of the past the opportunity to be a star is his for the taking starting in 2010.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:37 PM ^
that last years 5-star CB recruit didn't help the team at a position of desperate need, I'm not encouraged to assume that this year's 5-star CB recruit will. We needed Turner to help last year just as we need Christian to help this year.
Even Woodson/Hall/Jackson struggled against quality opponents when they were true freshman.
I hope Christian is as good as those guys, but if you assume it, you're asking to be disappointed.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
The camel that is his tenure, burdened with yet another straw.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
I think that frees him of some straw...just another player that can't hack the offseason workout and the fall practice backlash it produces. I'm sure the coaches let them know how they felt and he couldn't take it. Illinois State will get a solid CB.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^
And since we don't, this speculation is misguided. And even if it has some truth, I'd much rather have a body in the backfield with potential to shape up and play than nobody. There is no reason at all why the same schools that wanted him back then won't want him now--no way a small school is where he goes.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^
It's pretty easy to put 2 and 2 together here. Woolfolk's comments about players that don't want to give 100% being diseased, same position group, 15lbs weight gain, but nobody even mentions him as being one of the workout ninjas during the offseason? I think that spells it out pretty well. Not all great high schoolers work out at big time programs. Remember Pierre Rembert? 4 star, #32 running back in the country...xferred to the Redbirds of Illinois State and did well.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
All of this will be over soon.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
On the bright side, I don't think anybody really considered him a realistic threat to play at corner long term once they looked at his height and weight. He was destined for safety from the get-go and I feel good about our young safeties without Turner. The pressure is and always has been on Cullen Christian.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
to go to the bar and have the bartender just put a bottle of Jack Daniel's in front of me?
August 11th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
Been drinking since the Walsh news, and Ash almost put me over. This may do it. Going back under the covers and waiting for next week.
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