Turner thrilled to finish college career at Michigan State, where he wanted to play all along

East Lansing, Mich. – As a developing high school prospect in the Class of 2019, Jordan Turner envisioned himself playing at Michigan State. But the Spartans were late to offer the in-state linebacker, and ultimately missed out on an opportunity to sign him during his senior year at Farmington High School.

After four years, three-letters, and two years as a starting linebacker at Wisconsin, Turner is back in his home state at the program where he wanted to play all along. He simply could not pass up the opportunity to finish his college football career at Michigan State, playing for head coach Jonathan Smith and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi.

“With coach Rossi and coach Smith coming over, I had to; it was a match made,” said Turner after practice on Thursday. “I always wanted to play here at first. It didn’t (happen). I hit the portal and had a great opportunity to come back home.”

The Spartans could have easily signed Turner in high school if they had offered him earlier in the recruiting process. Michigan State, however, dragged its feet with an offer. Turner ultimately cast his lot with Wisconsin, which made him an early recruiting priority. Michigan State eventually offered Turner, but by the time it did, it was too late.

“They were the first school to recruit me, and they had been to my school plenty of times,” said Turner of Michigan State, “but they (were) the last school to offer me … My first camp was the Michigan State camp. I’ve got a picture of me and Coach (Mark) Dantonio from that camp. I always thought that I could post that picture when I committed. But it didn’t happen.”

Any lingering ill will on Turner’s part from being overlooked by Michigan State in high school is in the distant past. Since joining the Michigan State football family in January, Turner has felt nothing but goodwill from Spartan coaches as well as his teammates.

“They accepted me with open arms, helping me grow as a person, a player, and as a son,” Turner said. “That is all that I could ask for from a school.”

Although he is grateful to be back home in the state of Michigan, with an opportunity to play more games in front of family and friends, his decision to play for the Spartans involved more than geography.

“It was all business for me,” Turner said. “I just wanted somewhere that was a healthy environment to grow in all phases. Throughout the recruiting process (Michigan State) checked every box for me. I knew that I was going to be here.”

Mutual interest

When examining Joe Rossi’s defense as a portal recruit, Turner was intrigued by the variety and unpredictability of the Michigan State defensive coordinator’s blitz packages.

“He has different blitzes, and I like how he changes looks up,” Turner said. “I like how detailed he is, and I felt like I could get more from his defense … As a defense he wants us all to be able to play fast and get vertical. I like that.”

Rossi’s familiarity with the Wisconsin linebacker helped establish Turner as one of the top portal recruiting targets for Michigan State on defense this winter. Given that the Spartans are determined to re-establish themselves as a heavyweight recruiting presence at home and throughout the Midwest, it probably didn’t hurt that Turner was a homegrown linebacker.

“I’d see him in crossover film all of the time, and that was one of the reasons we were interested,” said Rossi, explaining what first piqued his interest in Turner. “I’d see him as we were watching other teams.”

What Rossi saw in Turner on film was a proven Big Ten linebacker with good production as an 18-game starter at inside linebacker the past two seasons at Wisconsin. In 30 games played for the Badgers, Turner totaled 135 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, six pass break-ups, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Most of that production took place across the 2022 and 2023 seasons respectively, with Turner recording 129 tackles while playing 1,217 snaps during that time.

Turner is also a high-character individual, which matters to Rossi.

“First thing is he is a great person, top notch, and I love coaching him,” Rossi said. “Two, he works his butt off, and three he is talented. When you’ve got a guy that is a really good person, works really hard, and is really talented, those guys are fun to coach. He has been awesome, great for the room. I’ve been super lucky because the linebacker room is top notch. They work really hard and put a lot into it.”

Turner’s primary goal for his final season as a college football player reflects the intangible qualities that sold Rossi on him recruiting process.

“Win, that is all that I am to do here,” Turner said. “Win as a team.”

Turner’s plus work ethic has been evident in the effort he has put into improving his body since arriving at Michigan State.

“I was really stiff,” Turner said. “I didn’t like how my flexibility and mobility was, so a big thing when I came over here was to get my mobility and flexibility right so I could start moving how I want to.”

The emphasis that Michigan State strength and conditioning coach Mike McDonald places on flexibility and speed training was a welcome change for Turner from what was emphasized at Wisconsin.

“We was lifting man, throwing them weights,” Turner said. “That’s why when they look at me they probably think I was in the military or something. Out here we emphasize mobility more. At the same time, we are going to lift too. But if its not with good technique and good flexibility, there is no point in doing it.”

Fitting into the Michigan State linebacker room

Turner is one of two transfers added to the Michigan State linebacker room along with Old Dominion standout Wayne Matthews during Smith’s first recruiting class. Both transfers have been welcomed into a linebacker room at Michigan State, which has both experienced veterans like Cal Haladay and Darius Snow and a dynamic underclassman standout in Jordan Hall.

“It’s a great room,” Turner said. “We are all learning off each other. It’s healthy. I like how we can all talk to each other, and we are all on top of everybody. I love the room.”

Being able to lean on and learn from other linebackers during spring football has been critical for each of Michigan State’s linebackers as they strive to learn a new defense.

“Rossi came in the first day and said we’ve all got to play together, and we’ve all got to learn together,” said Turner. “If we learn the playbook together, we play fast together.”

At this point in spring football, Spartan linebackers have shown themselves to have a solid grasp of the defensive playbook. They are still, however, working to build the on-field chemistry necessary for success in games.

“Playing with new guys,” said Turner, describing the biggest adjustment for him to this point in spring football. “At Wisconsin, I grew up with them. I started practicing with them. We grew up talking to each other. Just learning how to talk to them, which things trigger their heads, communication and playing together. That is what we’ve got spring ball for, we are working those things out.”

Progress is being made based on the encouraging performance of the linebacker room in the first spring football scrimmage last weekend according to Turner.

“A lot of learning, and a lot of growth,” Turner said. “I loved seeing us playing physical and fast. That is all you can ask for from a first scrimmage, and that is everybody being together and all playing in a live situation. It was fun, and I can’t wait to see it next time.”

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