With the A-Day game for Alabama Football just three days away, both its offensive and defensive units are working to make each other better. The Bama defense has been shorthanded this spring, as several starters have been limited with injuries. One of those players is junior outside linebacker Dallas Turner, who is expected to be healthy in time for fall camp.
Dallas Turner has the potential to be one of college football’s most fearsome pass rushers in 2023. He was one of the gems of the 2021 recruiting class for Alabama Football, ranked as a 5-star recruit and the top edge rusher in the cycle.
He began his true freshman season buried on the depth chart, but after injuries to Christopher Allen and Drew Sanders, Turner was vaulted into the lineup. Once he caught on, the freshman exploded, recording 8.5 sacks over a seven-game span to close the season.
After this outburst, he entered his true sophomore season with very high expectations. Alongside Will Anderson Jr., Turner was supposed to be one half of the best pass rushing duo in recent college football history.
While the tandem was impactful, they did not overwhelm opponents as many anticipated. Dallas Turner finished his sophomore season with 37 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Turner has the raw talent to play at an All-American level, and hopes to have a bounce back season in 2023. He will be a draft-eligible junior this fall, and the eyes of NFL scouts will certainly be on him when the season kicks off.
Along with senior Chris Braswell, Turner will be the alpha in a stacked outside linebacker room. In addition to the two starters, the unit includes three more former 5-stars recruits in redshirt freshman Jeremiah Alexander and incoming true freshmen Keon Keeley and Yhonzae Pierre.
On paper, this group should be a strength for Alabama Football in 2023. If Dallas Turner plays to his potential, which is that of a first round draft pick, it will also make life much easier on Bama’s young and developing secondary.