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Maryland Football: D.J. Turner looks to rebound from injury

By Chris Bengel

Aug 29, 2015; Hyattsville, MD, USA; DeMatha Stags Darryl Turner (1) stands on the sidelines against the Miami Central Rockets during a game at Prince George
Aug 29, 2015; Hyattsville, MD, USA; DeMatha Stags Darryl Turner (1) stands on the sidelines against the Miami Central Rockets during a game at Prince George /
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D.J. Turner suffered one of the most gruesome injuries you’ll ever see last August.

As the 2016 season begins, Turner will look to put that behind him.

In a game against Miami Central (Fla.), Turner was running a deep route and caught a pass from quarterback Beau English. After catching the football, his ankle got caught under a defensive back.

Turner suffered a horrific fractured fibula on the play. The devastating injury ended his senior season at DeMatha Catholic (Md.).

During his sophomore season with the Stags, Turner had suffered a fractured tibia.

According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Turner was rated as the No. 61 wideout in the nation. The former DeMatha star was also tabbed as the 14th-best player in the state of Maryland.

Turner is an incredibly gifted playmaker that was one of the area’s top talents. When in open space, there’s few with more speed than Turner.

He’s also a very shifty wideout that can make defenders miss at the drop of a hat.

Turner is a guy that can be used out of the backfield on short screen or swing passes. On the other hand, he’s more than capable of catching the ball over the middle.

Wide receiver is arguably the deepest position on the Maryland roster.

There’s plenty of talent at the top of the depth chart. Levern Jacobs, D.J. Moore, and New Mexico State transfer Teldrick Morgan figure to be the three top options.

After that, it’s going to be a dogfight for playing time.

Malcolm Culmer, Jahrvis Davenport, Tino Ellis, Taivon Jacobs, and DeAndre Lane all figure to be in the mix. None had more than 264 receiving yards last season, so Turner can break through if he performs well in practice.

Even if Turner redshirts in 2016, it’s pretty clear that the former Stag is a big part of Maryland’s future. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell runs a system that is based on tempo and a guy like Turner will be a perfect fit.

Next: Brendan Moore ready to make an impact

Whether it’s in 2016 or beyond, Turner looks like a legitimate impact player for the Terps.

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