REPORT: Arkansas to hire Morgan Turner as TE coach

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — According to a report from Whole Hog Sports, Arkansas has hired Stanford’s tight end coach, Morgan Turner to the same position.

The Razorbacks lost their former tight end coach, Dowell Loggains on Tuesday when he was hired to be South Carolina’s offensive coordinator.

The Champaign, (Illi.) native graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009. Turner began his coaching career as a student assistant for the Fighting Illini during the 2004 season.

Turner will be tasked with keeping the current three four-star tight ends already committed to Arkansas under Loggains. Luke Hasz, Shamar Easter and Jaden Hamm are all the highest rated tight ends since Hudson Henry in 2019.

Another plus for Turner is his familiarity with the state of Arkansas. The Natural State was a recruiting territory of his while he coached at Stanford. Other states he recruited were California (Sacramento Valley, North Coast, Cascades), Florida (South), Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Notable tight ends coached during his 10 year stint at Stanford include Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz, Levine Toilolo, Austin Hooper, Dalton Schultz, Kaden Smith. His success coaching his position group to the NFL gives Arkansas hopes of regaining their status as TEU.

Here’s his profile from the Stanford Cardinal website:

Morgan Turner is in his 10th season as a full-time member of the coaching staff in 2022 and his 13th season overall with the program.

Turner has worked closely with the program’s West Coast offense and helped define a physical style of play that has separated Stanford from other programs. Stanford has become especially well-known for its recent production of NFL tight ends with Turner helping to develop recent players Dalton Schultz, Austin Hooper, Konrad Reuland, Coby Fleener, Levine Toilolo and Zach Ertz, as well as Kaden Smith and Stanford’s most recent draft pick, Colby Parkinson.

The next in Turner’s long line of game-changing tight ends made a name for himself in 2021: Benjamin Yurosek. Despite having only four tight ends on the roster - one of which was two-way starter Tucker Fisk, who started at defensive line - under Turner’s direction, Yurosek put together one of the best seasons in recent memory. Yurosek led the program with 658 receiving yards. His 15.3 yards per reception, three games of 90+ yards, and 13 receptions of 20+ yards all ranked in the top three among Power-5 tight ends.

Stanford’s 2020 tight ends did not come into the season with much starting experience, but fifth year Scooter Harrington and senior Tucker Fisk played an integral role in not only the passing game, but the rushing attack. Harrington and Fisk combined for three touchdown receptions, nearly half of Stanford’s seven in the six-game season. Additionally, the Stanford tight ends played a large part in the Cardinal tallying 15 rushing touchdowns in 2020, up from just eight in the 12-game season of 2019.

Parkinson, a fourth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2020, was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award and an All-Pac-12 second team honoree in 2019 finished the year with 48 receptions and 589 yards and one touchdown.

In fact, Super Bowl LI featured two Turner pupils: Atlanta’s Toilolo and Hooper. Hooper, in his first NFL season, caught a 19-yard second-quarter touchdown to become the first rookie in 17 years to record a touchdown reception in the Super Bowl.

Turner’s direction and guidance of Cardinal tight ends has played a significant role in Stanford’s offensive production and the recent development of Schultz and Smith. A fourth-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys, Schultz was an All-Pac-12 first team selection in 2017. He was one of four standout tight ends to see significant time in 2017, as the unit accounted for over half of Stanford’s receiving touchdowns (12 of 23). Smith was also a member of that unit and then led the Cardinal tight ends in 2018 with 635 receiving yards en route to all-conference second team honors.

Stanford’s tight ends amassed 49 receptions for 625 yards and nine touchdowns in 2015, as the group was led by Hooper, an All-America performer and third-round draft pick.

The unit compiled 55 receptions for 763 yards and five touchdowns in 2014 and helped pave the way for the Cardinal rushing game, which averaged 158.8 yards/game and broke 200 yards in each of the last three games on the season.

Hooper led the way for Stanford in 2014, catching 40 passes for 499 yards and two touchdowns. Hooper was named to the All-Pac-12 second team and Scout Freshman All-America first team for his efforts.

In his first season as the tight ends coach, Turner helped continue the tradition of Stanford’s power rushing offense. The 2013 tight ends corps played an integral part in Stanford rushing for 2,904 yards in 14 games.

In 2012, Ertz was named unanimous All-America. Ertz and Toilolo combined to catch 93 passes for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012 as Stanford led all schools nationally in tight end productivity. Toilolo led Stanford in yards/catch (16.4), while Ertz led the nation’s tight ends in receptions and yards.

Turner served as an offensive assistant from 2011-12 after having served as a sports performance intern during the 2010 season.

Prior to his arrival at Stanford, Turner spent the 2009 season as the quarterbacks coach at Indiana State, where he worked under head coach Trent Miles and offensive coordinator Troy Walters, a former Stanford All-America flanker.

During the 2008 season, Turner served as the quarterbacks coach and scout team coordinator for Illinois’ Central High School. Turner helped Central to a berth in the Illinois state playoffs.