Deontae Lawson opens up on Dallas Turner's leadership

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost their defensive leader, defensive lineman Will Anderson, to the NFL this offseason. Anderson was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Losing a leader of his caliber would devastate almost every other program in college football, but not Alabama. While Anderson may be gone, fellow defensive lineman, Dallas Turner has already begun to fill his shoes as the defensive leader, according to linebacker Deontae Lawson.

“Well, I feel like it’s always been in Dallas, but you know Will was just the spotlight. But I feel like that’s just something he’s always had. So it’s just his time now to do that,” said Lawson at the Crimson Tide’s fall camp.

Last season, the redshirt sophomore from Mobile, AL, got the opportunity to play more snaps on the defensive side of the ball. Lawson played in a total of 11 games, recording 51 tackles, 24 solo, four passes defended, and 2.5 tackles for a loss.

As for Turner, not only is he filling Anderson’s role as the voice of the defense, but he’s also expected to replace his former teammates’ production on the field. Playing alongside Anderson the last two seasons, Turner has put together quite the set line. And it’s two years he has recorded 67 total tackles, 30 solo, 18 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks, and has forced two fumbles.

Nick Saban says it’s time to embrace the grind as Alabama inches closer to Week 1

With new faces spread across the Crimson Tide offense, defense, and coaching staff, head coach Nick Saban has a few weeks left to put it all together. Saban, too, recently spoke at the Alabama fall camp detailing the expectations he has for his squad during the final weeks of the offseason — and it’s no surprise that he’s holding his team to a high standard entering the new college football season.

“The No. 1 purpose of fall camp is to create good habits. Obviously, bad habits have a cost. Good habits have a price, but you have to pay the price for the good habits up front, which is what you do when fall camp comes along,” Saban said during Alabama media day. “This is a time when you have to embrace the grind. We’ve got some players that have been blessed with talent, and it only comes to fruition when you embrace the grind.

“You can’t view the circumstances as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to operate under difficult situations.”

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this story