Alabama's Dallas Turner Declares for 2024 NFL Draft After Rose Bowl Loss to Michigan

Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner is taking the next step in his football career.

Following the Crimson Tide's 27-20 overtime loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl on Monday, Turner told ESPN's Alex Scarborough that he is declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.

"I'm gone," Turner said. "Ain't no if, ands or buts about it."

Turner put together an impressive 2023 season that saw him take home the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award and All-American honors.

The 20-year-old entered Monday's game having registered nine sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass defended, 50 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He posted three tackles and a sack against Michigan.

Turner committed to Alabama as a five-star prospect and the No. 1 ranked edge rusher in the class of 2021. He spent his entire college career with the Crimson Tide and now enters the NFL draft as one of the top defenders available.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department lists Turner as the third-best edge rusher and the 11th-best prospect available in the 2024 draft. Florida State's Jared Verse and UCLA's Laiatu Latu are ranked higher.

Bleacher Report NFL Scout Matt Holder wrote of Turner:

"Dallas Turner might be the best pure athlete in this year's edge class. He has a good get-off and is a smooth-mover when working laterally. Not to mention his speed, which allows him to close on quarterbacks and make hustle plays down the field with chase-down tackles.

"Turner's athleticism stands out as a pass-rusher, as he's able to execute a difficult ghost rush move at a high level. A lot of that has to do with his bend, as he has a limber lower half to turn tight corners at the top of the rush. The latter also pops up during his dip-rip move and when he wins around the edge in general.

"... Overall, Turner has plenty of tools to work with to warrant a top-15—and maybe even a top-10—selection in this year's draft class. Schematically, his best fit is as a standup outside linebacker for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts."

Alabama will certainly miss Turner's presence in the pass rush next season, especially if linebacker Chris Braswell also declares for the NFL draft as expected.

With how the college football landscape has changed over the last few years thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, it's hard to project what Alabama's roster will look like next season. However, the program does have 2024 commits from edge rushers Sterling Dixon and Jayshawn Ross.

Dixon and Ross are ranked within the top 20 edge rushers in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports. Alabama also has the No. 2 ranked recruiting class for 2024 behind Georgia.