Zaire Turner enters her first season as Senior Director of Recruiting at SMU in 2026.
Turner arrives after spending time at USC, where she played a vital role in the Trojans landing the top-rated recruited class by ESPN, On3 and 247 Sports in her lone season in 2025.
Prior to being with the Trojans, she spent itme at Troy from Notre Dame where she previously served as the Fighting Irish Director of Player Personnel. In 2024, she was named a 247Sports 30 Under 30 for advancing Notre Dame's recruiting efforts. A trailblazer in the industry, she was the second-ever female to hold a Director of Player Personnel role in college football.
During her three seasons at Notre Dame (2022-24), Turner helped construct three unanimously ranked Top 12 recruiting classes from 2023-2025. To conclude the 2024 season, the Fighting Irish advanced to the College Football Playoff championship game.
Prior to Notre Dame, she was a part of the Virginia Tech football recruiting staff from 2018-20.
