Alex Leatherwood (Photo: 247Sports)
No, that headline isn’t an overstatement. It’s just a bold truth about the state of play for a very, very talented coach and recruiter, as laid bare by a storyline that emerged from The Opening.
On Friday, Alabama offensive line recruit Alex Leatherwood, a Pensacola, Fla. native, told ESPN that he planned to take all five of his official visits. Obviously, only one of those would go to Alabama. The other four will go to programs that Alabama coach Nick Saban is apparently thoroughly unconcerned about.
How do we know that? His response to Leatherwood when he was told of the official visits was as follows, per this story from ESPN:
“I told coach Saban about my official visits,” Leatherwood said. “He was like, ‘Have fun.’”
Have fun in Michigan and L.A. Don’t sweat it and we’ll see you in Tuscaloosa. Cool as the other side of the pillow.
Of course, Saban’s nonchalance doesn’t ensure that Leatherwood will stay true to his Alabama pledge, but the coach’s track record of holding on to commits speaks volumes about the odds. Assuming Leatherwood is true to form, opposing coaches might want to save their effort and recruiting budget in the future, particularly at desired vacation locales like Los Angeles.