Will Anderson had moments in his junior season at the University of Alabama that confirmed to NFL scouts he’s worthy of a first-round draft selection.
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The former Crimson Tide pass rusher was taken at No. 3 overall in the NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Anderson’s running mate, Dallas Turner, dominated as a true freshman. His numbers dropped last year, but Turner is starting to heat up and scouts are noticing. The South Florida native did not have any explosive plays versus Middle Tennessee State and Texas; however, Turner has been on fire in the last two weeks. After having 2.5 sacks in Alabama’s 17-3 win over USF, the former five-star played with aggression against Ole Miss.
Turner led a unit that sacked Rebels’ quarterback Jaxson Dart five times. Alabama knocked Dart out of the game a couple times as well. Turner posted 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, pacing a Tide defense that allowed 10 points to a Mississippi team under Lane Kiffin that was averaging 52.7 points per game.
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Several NFL scouts came away impressed with Turner’s power, speed, pass-rush moves, and ability to bend and get free from offensive linemen. He finished plays with authority and kept the crowd engaged. Turner’s energy assisted Alabama to win on third downs against Kiffin’s offense.
He has 4.5 sacks in two weeks, but Turner is only getting started.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
