The SEC is becoming accustomed to trading personnel.
First, the Alabama Crimson Tide boosts its already stout defense with the addition of Tennessee linebacker Henry To'o To'o.
Now, the Georgia Bulldogs are getting much needed help in their secondary from Alabama transfer Brandon Turnage.
When the day comes that Lane Kiffin succeeds Nick Saban at Alabama, the saga will be complete.
Turnage was a versatile player who saw limited action in Tuscaloosa. He'll get the opportunity to fill a defensive void for University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
Brandon Turnage at Alabama
Turnage was a four-star recruit out of Lafayette High School in Oxford, Mississippi. He was the 102nd-ranked player and 11th-ranked cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
The defensive back had offers from Ole Miss, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, LSU, Marshall, Memphis, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oregon, South Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UAB, and UT-Martin before signing with 'Bama.
Turnage didn't see the field much as a member of the Alabama football team — totaling eight snaps and one target in four appearances during the squad's 2020 national championship run.
Brandon Turnage Transfers to Georgia
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Turnage entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on May 6, 2021. Eight days later, he announced he was transferring to the SEC cross-division rival.
Matt Luke, the former Ole Miss coach who's now the UGA offensive line coach, was a big reason in drawing the four-star to Athens.
Former Alabama cornerback Brandon Turnage isn't the first defensive back to land on the Georgia football team this offseason. West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith and Clemson All-ACC corner Derion Kendrick will join the Dawgs' defensive unit as well.
Turnage, Smith, and Kendrick should get the opportunity to compete for a starting job right away. Top cornerbacks Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, and DJ Daniel entered the 2021 NFL Draft while Tyrique Stevenson transferred to Miami. Safeties Mark Webb and Richard LeCounte III also went pro.
Turnage brings good size to the Georgia secondary at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. He has experience at both safety and corner, and it's looking like he'll start out at corner due to the wave of departures.
He'll able to play right away thanks to the new NCAA Transfer Rule that allows players to transfer once without sitting out a year.
The SEC is expected to amend its intra-conference transfer rule to align with this new regulation. The redshirt sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining.
The addition of Turnage and Smith certainly brings talent to a position group that needed rebuilding to make it back to the College Football Playoff.
