What became obvious not long after Will Anderson stepped foot on Alabama’s campus three years ago became official Monday: the star outside linebacker will enter the NFL draft.

Anderson was a three-year starter who made an immediate impact on Alabama’s national championship team in 2020 and was considered among college football’s best players the past two seasons. He made his announcement at a news conference with Nick Saban and two other juniors entering the 2023 draft, Bryce Young and Jahmyr Gibbs. Saban made it clear other juniors could decide later to enter.

Anderson as one of the most accomplished players in program history and among the more decorated defensive players in college football history.

He is the school’s only two-time unanimous All-American, a two-time winner of the Nagurski Trophy and SEC defensive player of the year, and also won the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Lott Trophy this season. He started on Alabama’s undefeated national championship team as a freshman in 2020 and was named a permanent team captain after both is sophomore and junior seasons.

Anderson’s 34.5 career sacks place him second in the school’s record book behind Derrick Thomas’ 52 over four seasons in the late 1980s. As a sophomore in 2021, Anderson led Division I with 17.5 sacks and had 34.5 tackles for loss — 12.5 more than any other player in the country. His 10 sacks led the team again this season.

Anderson and Alabama’s other underclassmen had until Jan. 16 to declare as early entrants for the April 27-29 draft, which will be held in Kansas City. Both Anderson and Young graduated last month after three years with what the school said was grade-point averages above 3.0, although both will leave Alabama without using the two additional seasons of eligibility they had remaining.

Anderson decided to play in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State, bucking a recent trend in college football of likely top-10 picks skipping non-playoff bowl games. He rotated with junior Chris Braswell at outside linebacker and finished the 45-20 win over Kansas State with no statistics.

Anderson is expected to be part of the conversation to be selected No. 1 overall in the upcoming draft along with Young and others. Anderson was the projected No. 3 pick in an ESPN mock draft last month, with Young taken first overall.

It has been almost 75 years since Alabama last had a player drafted No. 1 overall to the NFL. Harry Gilmer, selected by Washington at the start of the 1948 draft, was the Tide’s last top pick.

The most recent time two teammates were selected with the Nos. 1 and 2 overall picks in an NFL draft, a possibility for Anderson and Young, was the 2000 draft when Penn State’s Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington went back-to-back.

Alabama has not had a player chosen No. 2 since 1987, when Cornelius Bennett went to the Indianapolis Colts. The Tide’s had four players chosen No. 3, including three in the Saban era: Chris Samuels (2000), Marcell Dareus (2011), Trent Richardson (2012) and Quinnen Williams (2019).

After Anderson’s widely-anticipated departure, Alabama’s starting outside linebackers in 2023 are expected to be Braswell, who will be a senior, and junior Dallas Turner. Among the others at the position are Jeremiah Alexander, a five-star recruit in 2022, and two incoming five-star signees in Keon Keeley and Qua Russaw.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.