6 Alabama Crimson Tide stars who won’t be back in 2024 and who will replace them

2. Dallas Turner, EDGE

After losing Will Anderson Jr. and his all-world ability from the 2022 iteration of Alabama, there really wasn't expected to be too much of a drop-off, as crazy as that may sound. That's because, as Anderson's star grew in Tuscaloosa and opposing offenses were forced to pay more than ample amounts of attention to him coming off of the edge, Dallas Turner emerged as an elite pass-rusher in his own right and returned for the 2023 season.

Turner didn't have the eye-popping numbers that someone like Anderson did, but he was still immensely effective, especially with a veteran complement in Chris Braswell opposite of him on the other edge. Turner acrrued nine sacks and 50 total tackles of his own. He and Braswell, on the whole, combined for 17 sacks on the Alabama defense.

The explosive edge duo, but Turner specifically, are almost certain to begin their NFL futures now. Turner projects as a legitimate Top 32 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, following in the footsteps in his predecessor, Anderson. Unlike with his predecessor, however, there isn't a totally obvious replacement for him on the edge, especially with Braswell also likely gone for the pros.

Turner declared for the 2024 NFL Draft immediately following the Rose Bowl.

Alabama replacement for Dallas Turner: Keon Keeley

Just simply based on the recruiting pedigree, Keon Keeley figures to be the most likely candidate to replace Dallas Turner on the edge. Though he'll be a likely redshirt freshman in the 2024 season, Keeley was a big-time recruit for Saban and this program as the No. 1-ranked edge and No. 2 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle. His potential is near limitless and his projections could be even higher than those of Turner.