Alabama LB Dylan Moses bypassing NFL draft, will return to school in 2020
Alabama received some significant news on Monday night.
Dylan Moses, the Crimson Tide’s star linebacker, announced on his Instagram account that he will bypass the NFL draft and return to Tuscaloosa for the 2020 season. Moses missed the entirety of the 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL in the lead-up to the season-opening game against Duke.
Moses wrote that he wants to earn his college degree before pursuing a professional football career.
“After much thought and prayer, my family and I have decided that the best decision is for me to return to Alabama and finish my college education,” Moses wrote. “Football is not who I am, it is what I do. Life after football is what I’m most concerned about, and I want to ensure I can put myself in the best possible position to succeed in life, fulfill my goals and make my dreams come true.”
Moses was a five-star recruit when he arrived at Alabama back in 2017. He played in eight games as a true freshman, compiling 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. He emerged as a starter in 2018 and led the team with 86 tackles. He also had 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks on the year.
Moses was set to be one of the leaders on the Alabama defense this season until injuring his knee during practice during the week of the season opener. He spent the season rehabbing the knee and was projected by many as a possible first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, but he decided that the NFL can wait.
“The 2020 season will be very personal to me, and I want nothing more than to finish my Alabama career in style,” Moses wrote. “This program’s goal is to compete for championships and next year will be no different. Next season isn’t about draft stock or money — it’s about grinding with my brothers and winning another national title.”
Alabama missed the College Football Playoff for the first time this season and will face Michigan in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.
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