Alex Leatherwood could have been a first-round pick in this year’s draft. Instead, the left tackle will return to Alabama in order to earn his degree. 
“My three years at Alabama have been some of the best of my life,” Leatherwood said. “I’ve used my time in Tuscaloosa to grow significantly as a player and as a person, but I believe that I have more left to learn. When I decided to come to Alabama it was always important to me to win football games, but it was equally as important that I earn my degree. I realize that my career on the field will not last forever and walking across that stage has always been a goal of mine.”
There’s some risk involved here, but Leatherwood figures to be one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft after he gets some additional seasoning with the national powerhouse. Evaluators were already salivating over Leatherwood’s skillset after he successfully shifted from playing right guard in 2018 to manning LT in 2019.
Other top tackles in this year’s class include Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, and USC’s Austin Jackson.