How Good Can Alabama's Defense Be? 'Defense Has No Limits'

Junior outside linebacker Dallas Turner has high hopes for the 2023 Crimson Tide defense.

Katie Windham | Aug 24, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama is returning starters on defense like Kool-Aid McKinstry, Dallas Turner, Terrion Arnold, Tim Smith and Jaheim Oatis from a group that finished 15th in total defense and ninth in scoring defense a season ago.

There's also buzz around younger players like freshman safety Caleb Downs or returners that haven't gotten as much playing time in the past like junior safety DeVonta Smith.

At the beginning of fall camp, new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said this group of players was particularly coachable and getting to learn from the best defensive mind in the sport with head coach Nick Saban.

Now that fall camp has concluded and the players turn to actual game preparation, there is a lot of confidence in how special the 2023 defense can be, especially from Turner.

"Defense has no limits to it this year," Turner said. "From what I’ve seen every day at practice, the type of work we’re putting in, the unity as one, the togetherness we’re starting to have, the bond on and off the field–there’s no limit to how the defense can be good.”

Offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt goes against that defense each day in practice.

"So far, the defense has shown a lot," Dalcourt said. "It has shown a lot of intensity, a lot of flying around to the ball. We have a lot of playmakers on defense. It’s exciting to go out there and compete with them every day and see how good they could become."

After finishing in the top six in scoring defense every year from 2009 to 2017 (with the best scoring defense four of the years,) Alabama finished outside the top 10 the next four seasons. Steele is trying to get the defense back to that Alabama standard.

Saban said he wants to the defenders to have more "thump" in their tackling and continue limiting mental errors and missed tackles as the season opener against Middle Tennessee draws closer.

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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