Dave Aranda’s new tactic of “paying players” appears to be paying off nicely as Baylor remains hot on the recruiting trail, with a commitment from four-star running back Michael Turner on Thursday evening.
Listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Turner checks in as the No. 82 overall player in the class of 2025 and the fifth-ranked running back in the cycle, according to On3.
Turner also ranks as the No. 21 player in the state of Texas and chose Baylor over Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Utah, and Washington.
In his sophomore season at North Richland Hills (TX), Turner started to show some real promise, earning first-team all-district honors with 849 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Then, as a junior, Turner virtually doubled his production, turning in 1,625 yards and 22 rushing scores.
With the newest addition to the class, Baylor is surging up the recruiting rankings across the industry. Now standing with 17 commitments, the Bears’ 2025 class ranks 28th nationally (per 247Sports) and third among Big 12 schools, trailing only TCU (No. 22) and UCF (No. 24) at this time.
Baylor is coming off a rough season in 2023, finishing 3-9, finishing 12th in the Big 12 with that mark. The Bears will open their 2024 season against Tarleton State on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. EST.
