CONCORD – Three hats, representing Yale, Air Force and Utah State, rested in front of Mt. Diablo senior Herschel Turner as he sat at a table on the stage at Mt. Diablo High School.
The 5-foot-10 record-breaker paused for dramatic effect, mulling over his options, before grabbing the gray Utah State cap as cheers erupted from family, friends, coaches and classmates.
And then, for one final flourish, the young man who rushed for a NCS regular season-record 2,957 yards as a senior pulled off his coat to reveal that he was wearing an Aggies sweatshirt all along.
Why pick Utah State, a ho-hum Mountain West Conference team that went 6-7 in 2023, over offers from Air Force, Ivy League power Yale, the SEC’s Missouri and a host of other programs?
“I could’ve chosen the best football school, but this was the best place for me personally,” Turner told the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “They have the major I want, the type of coaches I’m looking for, team atmosphere and type of school I was looking for. They checked all the boxes.”
Turner, who wants to be a detective after his football career is over, said he plans on studying forensic science at Utah State.
Mt. Diablo principal Dr. Markell McCain believed Turner was Mt. Diablo’s first football player to commit to a Division I program since Jerry Reese signed with San Jose State in 1991.
Turner, who played at Freedom for three years before transferring to Mt. Diablo as a senior, was historically-productive as he carried the Red Devils to the section playoffs.
He was named offensive MVP for the Diablo Athletic League Valley Division. Turner finished the year with 3,027 rushing yards and 42 TDs on the ground. He ran for six touchdowns in a game twice during his senior year.
“On my first day, my mom asked me if I liked it, and I said ‘No, I want to go back (to Freedom),’” Turner said. “I’m glad I stuck it out here. I met a lot of new people and had a great senior year. The perfect senior year.”
The senior from Brentwood also had offers from Army, North Texas, Portland State, UNLV, Utah, Washington State and Wayne St.
He joins a 30-player Utah State recruiting class.
As for the rest of the local players moving on to college football, here is where they are going:
Wednesday’s national signing day
Sefo Akuila, Fremont-Oakland, LB, BYU
Drew Cunningham, De La Salle, LB, Stanford
Jaden Green, Serra, RB, Lehigh
Jalen Harris, Berkeley, WR, UC-Davis
Kai Moananu-Apela, De La Salle, DL, Minot State
Parker Threatt, Bellarmine, ATH, San Diego State
Naki Tuakoi, Fremont-Oakland, LB, BYU
December early signing period
Marley Alapati, Serra, LB, Army
Luke Baker, San Ramon Valley, QB, Sacramento State
Joseph Bey, Serra, S, San Jose State
Brooks Davis, Heritage, WR, Montana
Kai Hamilton, Valley Christian, WR, Sacramento State
Cole Harrison, Serra, TE, Tennessee
John Holthaus, Serra, OL, Colorado State
Wyatt Hook, Homestead, TE, Michigan State
Kamani Jackson, El Cerrito, CB, Washington State
Tyrone Jackson, Archbishop Riordan, WR, Boise State
Berlin Lillard, Bishop O’Dowd, OL, Colorado State
Kyon Loud, Serra, WR, Montana
Jabari Mann, Serra, LB, San Jose State
Tevita Manukainiu, Aragon, OL, San Jose State
Alek Marshall, Menlo-Atherton, TE, Cal Poly
Rayne Mayo, Valley Christian, OL, UC Davis
Danny Niu, Serra, LB, San Diego State
Michael Pedrotti, Serra, LS, Serra
Ahmad Robinson, McClymonds, OL, Eastern Washington
Trevor Rogers, Acalanes, WR, Cal
Manuel Serna, Clayton Valley Charter, OL, San Jose State
Maealiuaki Smith, Serra, QB, Oklahoma State
Kalolo Ta’aga, Archbishop Riordan, OL, USC
Jaylen Thomas, Los Gatos, ATH, San Jose State
Xavier Thorpe, Livermore, OL, Washington State
Ikinasio Tupou, Palo Alto, OL, BYU
