Turner’s Commitment Vaults Baylor into Top 30 Nationally for 2025 Class

Four-star Richland running back Michael Turner’s commitment on Thursday was another massive win for Dave Aranda and Baylor’s 2025 recruiting class. He chose the Bears over TCU, Washington, Utah, SMU and Oklahoma State.

Turner was a consensus four-star prospect but got his highest rating from On3, who graded him as the 82nd player in the nation and 21st best in Texas. He’s tied with current Baylor running back Jordan Jenkins (RJr.) as the highest-rated (91) tailback commit in the Aranda era.

With Turner’s verbal pledge, Baylor leads the Big 12 with five four-star commitments; rival TCU and UCF are close behind with four apiece. Per 247, the Bears are now third in the conference in both total recruiting points (205.69) and average commit rating (87.7) for the 2025 class; Baylor has even climbed to 28th in the national rankings.

The Bears' five four-star prospects – Turner, Kamauryn Morgan (Edge, South Oak Cliff), Taz Williams (Wide Receiver, Red Oak), Jacorey Watson (Wide Receiver, Shadow Creek) and Caden Knighten (Running Back, Pauls Valley) – are the most they’ve had in a single recruiting class since 2021 (5).