Ivey League: Brandon Turnage more confident than ever in final ride back home at Ole Miss

Brandon Turnage is spending his final college season back home at Ole Miss. He couldn’t be more content. Or confident.

Turnage has no regrets about his nomadic career. He’s a one-time standout defensive back/wide receiver/quarterback at Lafayette (Mississippi) High School. He left home to first develop under Nick Saban at Alabama. Tennessee, meanwhile, was a needed, multi-year stop with teammates he’ll never forget.

But Ole Miss is home. And the Rebels are title-chasing in 2024-25. Ole Miss opens against Furman August 31.

“What it means to be back home? It kind of means everything,” Turnage said. He’s the guest this week on the Ole Miss Spirit’s ‘Ivey League’ podcast.

“I get to play in front of my family day-in and day-out; my people within a 10-minute range from the stadium to see me play. It’s awesome.”

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Turnage sat down with his Ole Miss teammate and ‘Ivey League’ host, Jared Ivey.

Ivey is in his third year as a starting defensive lineman for the Ole Miss defense. Turnage is currently one of five starters for the Rebels in the secondary.

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Turnage spent two years at Alabama and won a national title. He’s hoping for another with the Rebels — a preseason Top 6 team and contender for the now-expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

“It kind of really just came down to how do I want to be developed? Coming out of high school, a lot of guys that get an offer from Nick Saban and have him coming to the school to see him, it’s hard to turn that down,” Turnage said. “You know the type of players he produces and knowledge he has. I wanted to play under him so I could pick his brain and see why he does things the way he does.

“It helped me as I transferred from Alabama to Tennessee — just using the things he taught me in a different system. Or coming here and still using the things he taught me a while back and implementing them into the things we do here. Running the same defense, so it’s kind of cool.”

Pete Golding is in his second season leading the Ole Miss defense.

He was Turnage’s defensive coordinator for two years at Alabama, too.

Turnage had 48 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception as a Volunteer. He appeared in 12 games last season and finished with nine tackles.

“The confidence (Ole Miss) has brought out in me is crazy,” Turnage said. “These coaches trusting in me to go out and do my job day-in and day-out and knowing that, ‘OK, he knows what to do; now can you go and teach this person?’

“I love having that role. Not only does it help me, but it helps me help other people and gives me the confidence to speak up and say things.”