In 2017, A.J. Turner was named South Carolina’s most explosive player on offense by his coaches. He is finishing 2018 on defense. In 2019, he hopes to be playing both ways.
Turner, the junior running back from Clifton, Va., was moved to defensive back near the end of the season after the Gamecocks (7-5) suffered a run of injuries at the position. He played as a reserve nickel back against Akron in the final game of the regular season, and he’s expecting snaps in the defensive backfield against Virginia (7-5) in the Belk Bowl on Saturday.