Move to defensive tackle is nothing new for Texas A&M's Shemar Turner

DALLAS, Texas (KBTX) - Glancing at Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner at Southeastern Conference Media Days, the senior appears to be a new man.

Over the offseason, Turner said he put on 30 additional pounds of muscle – now playing near 300 pounds – which brings him closer to the playing weight of a traditional inside defensive lineman.

While Turner now has the body of a defensive tackle, the probable move to a position inward is really nothing new for the DeSoto native. He’s played across the defensive line since arriving in Aggieland, a point that long-time DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis noted on his player’s time with A&M.

“I just wish they’d find a spot and leave him there,” Mattis said Monday at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio. “That’s what I can’t wait for. He’s so talented. He’s so good, man. He plays in. He plays out. He’s just a phenomenal athlete.”

Per Pro Football Focus, Turner has taken 931 snaps at either end of the defensive line or at defensive tackle over the last three seasons. Over that time, he’s lined up on the left end for 345 snaps, followed by 313 snaps at defensive tackle. Right end comes in with 273 snaps.

Highlights from Turner’s HUDL clips show the pass rusher causing chaos from both the inside and the outside of the defensive line in high school. One highlight even features Turner lining up at defensive tackle and then dropping back into the middle of the defense to spy the quarterback.

“It’s always been a thing, because of my body type – you know, how big I am and being able to hold that much weight and still move and stuff like that,” Turner said of a move to the inside at SEC Media Days.

Turner started his career at A&M primarily at defensive tackle, racking up a 125 of 133 snaps on the inside of the line, according to PFF. Things evened out his sophomore season, with 155 snaps coming on the right side of the line and 136 on the inside. Last season, his time at defensive tackle dwindled to just 52 snaps.

Though he now resides at a weight just shy of 300 pounds, Turner said he’s been able to effectively play against the bigger offensive linemen inside when he checked in as light as 270 pounds.

Turner credited his new muscle to the addition of strength coach Tommy Moffitt, the hire of new head football coach Mike Elko.

“It hurts with Moffitt, I’m not going to lie,” laughed Turner. “Moffitt is going to make it hurt, but he’s not going to over-exceed you. He’s not going to make you do too much more than what you need to do. He’s going to make it hurt just right. He’s going to push you to that limit.”

Those gains came while Turner was recovering from an injured shoulder that required surgery over the offseason. The defensive lineman said he felt back to 100% approximately four weeks ago, with a small leg injury healing up, as well.

After his third season at A&M, Turner had the option to test his luck at the NFL Draft, but decided to return to the college ranks for one more year. According to Elko, Turner’s goal was to make minor improvements before moving on to the next level after the 2024 season.

Another season will also give him another opportunity to demonstrate his versatility on the defensive line.

“He has been extremely intentional about the decision he made, why he made it, and knowing the areas he had to improve, I think he wants to play from a flexible standpoint when he goes into the NFL Draft,” Elko added at SEC Media Days. “He wants to showcase teams that he can play in a lot of different roles. That was a big reason why he came back to that spot was so that he could become a flexible player. I think he’s going to be a plus player for us at defensive tackle.”