Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 94 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 100-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.

This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. With today being June 1, that means we are only 94 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and then.

With opening week 94 days away, let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who has represented that number.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 65 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 94?

The No. 94 has been locked up for a few years now. Rising senior DJ Dale has worn it ever since he arrived on campus prior to the 2019 season. The former Birmingham (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville standout has also been a starter since his first year in Tuscaloosa.

Dale’s snap count has been fairly consistent over his first three seasons.

He played 349 snaps his freshman year, 383 as a sophomore and 360 this past season. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman has missed a handful of games throughout his career — including two in 2021 — due to knee issues, but he’s been a steady presence when healthy.

Granted, what Dale does well won’t always show up on the box score. In three years, he’s only had 57 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and and 3.0 sacks, but he’s a nice interior run defender who has at least shown some improvement when getting after the quarterback.

Dale was a part of an impressive haul of defensive linemen in 2019.

That group also included former five-star Antonio Alfano, top-70 player Ishmael Sopsher (who both transferred), Justin Eboigbe, Byron Young and Braylen Ingraham. As the No. 224 overall player in the 2019 On3 Consensus, Dale was the lowest-rated of the bunch. Yet, he was the first one to start.

So far, Dale has carved out a nice career at Alabama, and that should eventually land him a secure spot on a NFL roster.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

Before Dale, Daron Payne was Alabama’s big-bodied interior defensive lineman who rocked the No. 94. The Birmingham native was a borderline five-star prospect who was rated as the nation’s No. 35 overall player, No. 9 defensive lineman and No. 2 player from the state of Alabama, per the 2015 On3 Consensus rankings.

Payne wasn’t an immediate starter like Dale, but he did contribute as a freshman.

In eight games, he posted 13 tackles, 0.5 sack and a forced fumble. For his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Payne emerged as a starter. He participated in 27 games during that period, totaling 89 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown as a sophomore and brought in his only career interception as a junior.

Don’t let the less-than-stellar statline fool you though. Payne was a force, and he was eventually selected No. 13 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2018 NFL Draft. That reuniting him with former running mate Jonathan Allen, and the two have been impact players along Washington’s defensive front ever since.

Payne is hoping to land a contract extension this offseason.

2022 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)

Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK

Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)

Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)

Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)