Asa Turner injury update: Billy Napier confirms Florida DB is off roster, will retire

Defensive back Asa Turner was a standout at Washington from 2021-2023, recording 148 tackles, seven TFL and six interceptions in the three-year span. He started in both of the Huskies’ College Football Playoff games in 2023 and earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors in 2022.

His career however hasn’t been the same following his transfer to Florida for the 2024 season.

Turner suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the 2024 opener against Miami and just hasn’t been able to get healthy since. Florida head coach Billy Napier provided a somber update on Turner during a Tuesday media opportunity.

“Asa’s transitioning out of football,” Napier said. “He’s had three years of significant injuries in college football. So we met with Asa this morning and look, Asa did a great job when he got here. He was a really big contributor early in the season but got injured and then hasn’t quite been the same guy.

“Asa contributed to our team last year and I’m very thankful for how he approached being a teammate and his attitude. But he’s at a point where he’s not going to play.”

Turner was key member of Washington’s CFP team

The Carlsbad, CA native has suffered injury problems over the past two seasons, playing in just eight of a possible 28 games. In Washington‘s stellar 2023 season, Turner played in just four regular season games (which gave him one extra year of eligibility) and three postseason games (Big Ten Championship and two College Football Playoff games). After just one game at Florida however, his career is now over.

Prior to his injury issues, Turner played in 36 games over four seasons (2019-2022) and was a defensive standout. His best campaign came in 2022, where he recorded 52 tackles, two interceptions and three pass deflections.

“He’s career has been extended for a year, and then we’ll kind of see where we end up,” Napier said of Turner back at Florida’s Pro Day. “He’s a guy who’s had injury issues through his career, not only here but also at Washington. But great kid, very smart, very dependable. Just gotta work on the durability piece.”

He however was not able to overcome his issues and will now be transitioning into a different phase of his career. Florida, without Turner on the field, will open the 2025 season at home against Long Island University on Aug. 30. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM on both ESPN+ and SEC Network+.