Dallas Turner claims Alabama defense has no limit

Alabama did not play the brand of football they wanted to on defense last season. Nick Saban made a move at defensive coordinator, bringing Kevin Steele into the mix. He will replace Pete Golding, who has moved across state lines to work with Ole Miss. Folks in Tuscaloosa are excited to have Steele back in the program and hope to get back to dominant ways.

Just days before kickoff, the players are confident Alabama will get there. Dallas Turner says there is “no limit” as to how good the Crimson Tide’s defense will be this season — not just because of football reasons either. Turner says everyone is clicking off the field too and at the right time.

“The defense has no limits to it this year,” Turner said. “From everything I am seeing from practice, the type of work we’re putting in. Just unity as one, the togetherness that we’re starting to have, the bond on and off the field. So, there’s no limit to how the defense can be good.”

Turner has been at Alabama for two seasons now and for the most part, he has been a really solid complementarily player. Will Anderson was the star of the show, especially during the 2021 season when he was a near Heisman Trophy finalist. But with Anderson now in Houston with the Texans, Turner has the opportunity to step into the limelight.

From a numbers perspective, Turner will have to play as he did as a true freshman to reach the high-level Alabama wants to play at. Turner recorded 10 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks during his debut campaign. Numbers dropped just a tad during the 2022 season, going for 8.0 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks.

Anderson was the quarterback rush partner in both of those seasons. Now, Turner is going to be working opposite Chris Braswell. Golding attempted to get all three of Anderson, Braswell, and Turner onto the field at times last season. There was some success but the 2023 season will be headlined by the Braswell and Tuner duo.

Of course, there is more to having a good defense than a pass rush. Alabama will want the secondary to have an improved year too. But if Turner is able to create havoc in the backfield, everybody else’s job is going to get a whole lot easier. A big season is ahead of Turner.