Alabama Sends Jon Gruden Endorsement to Recruits

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On this week's Monday Night Football ESPN's Jon Gruden had this to say about the Alabama Crimson Tide, "This 49ers team is as physical on both sides as anyone. They remind me of how Alabama plays."

A few days later, Alabama is making sure that all of its recruits are aware of the comment as well, mailing out this weekly flier to recruits, which Cecil Hurt tweeted last night.

The straightforward message is simple: Jon Gruden's impressed by how Alabama plays football.

But could it be something more, could this be a subtle recruiting shot at Gruden, Tennessee's top candidate to replace Derek Dooley?

Using Gruden's own words as an endorsement of Alabama?

It's diabolical, downright sinister, it's, it's Nick Saban at his very best -- pretending to praise Gruden while at the same time using his words to advance your position is the perfect move for Nick "the Process" Saban.

So is the first shot in the great Saban vs. Gruden recruiting war?

Or is it merely a sign of how valuable the top recruiting football program in the nation believes that Jon Gruden's seal of approval is?

Either way, it's an interesting move since some have questioned how good of a college recruiter Gruden would be.

Personally, I believe that Gruden would be an unbelievable recruiter.

Remember when I asked whether Gruden could be UT's Nick Saban?

Two weeks ago I wrote this:

"5. Gruden would recruit like a superstar.

Yep, he would dominate on the recruiting trail.

Can you imagine the reaction when Jon Gruden shows up at a high school game? When Jon Gruden does an in home visit? Is there any quarterback in the country who wouldn't love to play for Gruden after watching those quarterback camp videos? Is there any player who wouldn't be impressed by Gruden's ability to groom them for a job at the next level? You think parents would trust Gruden to get their sons ready for a pro career?

Plus, he's charismatic as hell.

Imagine that charisma plus a Super Bowl ring.

This guy would kill in recruiting."

Based on sending this mailing to every recruit, Alabama certainly seems to think Gruden's pretty valuable on the recruiting trail.

So do you think it's a coincidence or is Saban taking a shot a potential recruiting rival?

Time will tell.

In the meantime, Vol fans, the Gruver continues to grow.

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Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.