Elite Lineman has plan in place

By Kevin Ledford

Photo from Scout.com

Quite simply, Landon Turner is a beast. He’s big, strong, and athletic, but at 6’5” 300 pounds, he has the one thing that separates the good offensive linemen from the great ones: a vicious mean streak. He finishes his blocks with perfection and plays with an intense nastiness, which he credits his father for instilling in him. He consistently puts his man on the ground and makes sure he doesn’t get up, and when he’s done that, he looks for someone else to eliminate from the play. It’s a mentality that garnered him a spot on Scout.com’s Army All-Combine Team last month.

So did Landon have a childhood favorite growing up?

“Growing up, I was a West Virginia fan; my dad played there, my uncle played there, and I always played with them on the NCAA video games.”

But when the recruiting process began, through the advice of his family and coaches, he “threw fanhood out the window because that doesn’t mean it’s exactly the right place for me.”

So what is he looking for in a school?

“A good business program; not too far away from home, I don’t mind leaving, but not too far away from home; the fans, I love the fans; the campus; and the coaching staff…the coaching staff is huge.”

Landon specifically named three coaches that stand out: Coach (Jim) Bollman at Ohio State, Coach (Curt) Newsome of Virginia Tech, and Coach (Sam) Pittman from UNC. “They’re all awesome dudes, and really funny, too, “ he says.

He currently holds offers from North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, Stanford, and East Carolina.

Landon doesn’t have one particular leader as of yet, but says Virginia Tech, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio State, and Georgia make up his top 5, followed closely by Virginia and Michigan State.

And who is recruiting him the hardest?

“I would say Tech, North Carolina, and West Virginia for sure; Ohio State after that.”

Landon says wrestling has prevented him from visiting any Junior Days so far, but he definitely plans on attending Virginia Tech’s Junior Day.

While Landon is not sure if he will take all of his official visits, he does have a time frame for a commitment.

“I do know for sure that I want to make a decision in the early fall area because I want to participate in early enrollment and I want to be able to focus on my senior year.”

One more thing is sure: some lucky school will be getting a great young man and a truly elite offensive lineman.