The Las Vegas Raiders turned some heads when they picked former Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at No. 17 overall. It turns out Jon Gruden had a pretty simple reason for drafting Leatherwood.

“I like Alabama tackles … because when I turn on their games, they’re beating the hell out of people,” Gruden told reporters Saturday, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.

That quote is sure to be featured on plenty of recruiting materials produced by Nick Saban’s staff. Not that the Crimson Tide need any help in the recruiting department. UA currently has the SEC’s top 2022 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Saban’s staff is coming off of a historic haul 2021 haul.

Leatherwood was one of six 5-star recruits in Alabama’s top-ranked 2017 class.