ASU redshirt junior punter Michael Turk will return to the football program for the upcoming season after going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft in April.
Turk was granted a special waiver to restore his eligibility, allowing him to return despite having signed with an agent and declaring for the NFL Draft in January.
ASU used the COVID-19 outbreak as the primary reasoning to appeal for Turk's eligibility to be restored, according to an ASU spokesperson. Due to the pandemic, ASU canceled its pro day and the NFL canceled all in-person pre-draft workouts, hampering his ability to showcase his talents.
This is believed to be the first time in NCAA history that a player who had gone through the NFL Draft process was allowed to return back to school, according to an ASU spokesperson.
Turk will return to Tempe and join Florida State transfer Logan Tyler as the Sun Devils' two punters.
Tyler recorded seven punts for the Seminoles in 2019, averaging 44 yards per punt.Turk averaged 46 yards per punt on 59 punts during the 2019 season.
During the NFL combine, Turk registered 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press, the most by a punter since 2003.
Reach the reporters at aklatsky@asu.edu and follow @averyklatsky on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
