DJ Dale reveals what he hopes to accomplish in his final season at Alabama

Alabama is bringing back a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, with the defensive line being one of the more experienced groups. Interior guy DJ Dale is one of the leaders, hoping to build off a breakout campaign as he enters his senior year.

Dale was asked if he had any personal goals for the season, saying there were none from a statistical standpoint. Instead, he wants to be back on the podium, lifting the College Football Playoff trophy in Los Angeles in January 2023. He also wants to make an impression on his Crimson Tide teammates, especially with a new crop of guys in town.

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“Win another championship,” Dale said on his goals. “Really, just leave a positive impact on my teammates and these younger guys when some of us older guys leave for the next step. I just want to have a positive impact on my teammates.”

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Dale recorded 18 tackles last season, with four being for a loss. He added two sacks and a quarterback pressure, causing havoc on the inside for Alabama. Coaches even named him the defensive player of the week after the loss to Texas A&M.

He will be a huge part of attempting to win a national championship this season, especially with the pass-rushing talent on the outside. But he’s still wanting to play the mentor role, hoping to help mold the next great Alabama defensive linemen.

DJ Dale says 2022 Alabama defense is deepest he’s seen

The 2022 Alabama football team has high expectations, especially on defense after what Nick Saban called a ‘rebuilding’ year which resulted in a College Football Playoff championship game appearance. With NFL-caliber players at all three levels, the promise for the front seven and the defensive line in particular centers on an incredible amount of depth.

During a recent press conference, Dale broke down why many believe the 2022 group could be Alabama’s deepest defensive line unit yet, offering praise for both young and old players alike.

“Yeah, I would say so,” said Dale. “Right now it doesn’t matter who’s in. With a lot of older guys, we can play with anyone. Everyone is able to communicate with each other and everybody has a feel for what’s going on. So it really doesn’t matter who’s in. We can have three younger guys in and right now they would all know what to do, they know how to communicate with each other to execute the call.”