Former Alabama coach Nick Saban once again provided live commentary on ESPN as the 2026 NFL Draft unfolded in Pittsburgh. Since his sudden retirement from the Crimson Tide job in 2024, Saban has carved out a niche for himself with his insightful analysis for ESPN’s College GameDay show and commentary during the NFL Draft and SEC Media Days.
Nick Saban Reveals Anthony Hill Jr. Recruiting Miss on Draft Night
After former Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was selected No. 60 overall by the Tennessee Titans on draft night, Texas insider CJ Vogel revealed on X that Saban lamented not being able to recruit him at Alabama.
“Nick Saban says not landing Anthony Hill Jr. was a “failure on his part” during the NFL Draft coverage,” Vogel tweeted.
Saban holds the record of most first-round picks in college football, with 52 players selected (47 at Alabama). In addition, 133 Alabama prospects who played under Saban were selected in the NFL Draft, along with many more covering his stints at Michigan State and LSU.
Hill was a five-star talent and the No. 2 linebacker and No. 18 overall prospect in the class of 2023. He was highly recruited and initially committed to the Texas A&M Aggies, then decommitted and committed to coach Steve Sarkisian’s Texas.
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Last season, Hill tallied 69 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks for the Longhorns, earning an impressive PFSN College Linebacker Impact score of 85.1. He was also a finalist for the prestigious Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football.
Hill’s slide to the second round was unexpected, as he held the second-best athleticism score among linebackers in the 2026 NFL Draft class, behind former Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who was selected No. 7 overall by the Washington Commanders.
The Titans traded up 9 positions and sent a fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for the chance to select Hill, and their general manager, Mike Borgonzi, was delighted with the windfall.
“We’re excited to get Anthony Hill. He’s a guy that we’ve done a lot of work on. He is the prototype linebacker in this defense, long, fast, violent, that we always talk about,” Borgonzi said. “When he sees it, he goes, fast and violent. He fits what we want here. A tremendous kid, great football character. We made a move to get the guy that we wanted.”
In three seasons in college football, Hill appeared in 40 games, registering 249 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks for the Longhorns.
