Zaire Turner begins her first season as Senior Director of Recruiting at SMU
Athletics in 2026 after establishing herself as one of college football's top young
recruiting and personnel professionals.
Turner arrives at SMU after spending the 2025 season at USC, where she played a
vital role in helping the Trojans secure the nation's No. 1 overall recruiting class for
the 2026 cycle, according to ESPN, On3, and 247Sports.
Prior to USC, Turner served as Director of Player Personnel at Notre Dame. During
her three seasons with the Fighting Irish (2022–24), she helped assemble three
consecutive recruiting classes that were unanimously ranked among the nation's
top 12 from 2023–25. Her tenure at Notre Dame culminated with the Fighting Irish
advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship following the 2024
season.
A trailblazer in the industry, Turner became the second woman ever to hold a
Director of Player Personnel position in college football. In 2024, she was
recognized as a 247Sports 30 Under 30 honoree for her contributions to Notre
Dame's recruiting success. She was also selected to participate in the 2025 NFL
Women's Forum, a prestigious program featuring 40 women from across football
operations, scouting, coaching, and personnel, held during the NFL Scouting
Combine in Indianapolis.
Before joining Notre Dame, Turner worked on the recruiting staff at Virginia Tech
from 2018 to 2020. A 2016 graduate from the Texas Tech, Turner began her career
in the Red Raiders recruitment team as a student.
