The Arizona Wildcats will open their 2018 season on Saturday. The game marks, among other things, a chance to host a handful of recruits from throughout the country.
One of those recruits is safety Jaxen Turner, a defensive back from Moreno Valley, California. The 6-foot-2-inch, 175-pound Turner is rated as a three-star safety in the 2019 class, per 247Sports. The Rancho Verde High School standout has listed Arizona among his top five schools, alongside Arizona State, Utah, Oregon State and Cal.
The Star caught up with Turner this week to discuss his recruitment and why he likes the UA:
You’re being recruited by Arizona as a safety, but do you play both defensive back spots at your high school?
A: “Sometimes. When they need me to play corner, I’ll play corner, but most of the time I’m at safety.”
When did you start picking up Division I offers?
A: “January. I got my first offer sometime between January and February.”
Which school was your first offer?
A: “Cal.”
Is there anything particular you want to see when you’re in Tucson?
A: “Just kind of going with the flow. It was my dream school back in middle school and then I really got out of that dream-school phase. But just being at Arizona, man, I’m excited.”
Were there any Arizona players who you looked up to?
A: “I really wasn’t on a football phase, but more of a basketball phase. I followed basketball more once I got into high school, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re good at football too,’ so that’s the complete dream school right there for me. That’s my dream school that I want to go to.”
Were you a Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon fan?
A: “Stanley Johnson. … I don’t know him personally, I just liked to watch him play.”
Have you met Arizona’s coaching staff yet?
A: “I met the whole staff when they were down here at a camp in Redlands, which is like 30 minutes away from me. They’re great people. I like the way they coach and how they’re fired up. I met (cornerbacks) coach (Demetrice) Martin when he came down to my school to meet me for the first time, and that’s when I got my offer. He invited me to that camp in Redlands, and that’s when I met coach (Kevin Sumlin) — great guy. And that’s when I fell in love with the staff.”
What went through your mind when you first got offered by Arizona?
A: “I was geeked up. I was very excited and was like, ‘Dang, I finally got this offer I’ve been wanting since I was in the seventh or eighth grade. So I was very excited and very humbled to get that offer.”
Martin has a huge presence in the recruiting scene in Southern California from his previous jobs. Can you expand on his reputation in Los Angeles?
A: “He’s a great guy who’s always fired up and he motivates me every day. I’m excited to see how he coaches on Saturday.”
Has the coaching staff expressed how important defensive backs are for the 2019 class?
A: “They told me how they don’t have that many defensive backs. I was actually talking to them yesterday about the depth chart and he explained the depth chart to me and basically said he has one dude hurt, a couple scholarship (defensive backs) and the rest are walk-ons.”
Why is Arizona one of the top schools in your recruitment?
A: “The coaching staff. It’s a great environment and I feel like they can make me better and take me to the next level. It’s usually 10 to 15 degrees hotter over there than it is here, but it shouldn’t be too bad.”
What kind of player would Arizona be getting if you committed?
A: “They’re getting a smart on-the-field and off-the-field player. I’m very athletic and I bring aggressiveness. I know how to read a quarterback very well. I hadn’t been taught how to play defensive back until I got to high school. So basically I’ve been going off of all talent and then I got to high school and learned how to play (defensive back). It just happened so fast and the next thing I know, I’m starting on varsity as a safety. I’m a quick learner and have a great memory and learn plays pretty fast. At my school, I play backup quarterback, so I know the whole offensive playbook as well as defensive.”
