“Approached ungodly numbers” – When Nick Saban was in awe of Bryce Young’s NIL endorsements
Times have changed in college football, just ask Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young.
After the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2021, NIL deals came in for the young, talented quarterback.
Last offseason, it was reported that Young already had an $800,000 NIL deal in place. He then got a deal with BMW, and he got a car in return. Per www.on3.com, he also has deals with Onyx, Fanatics and Cash App. His NIL worth is around $3.5 million, which is amazing for a football player who has never taken a professional snap.
When Nick Saban spoke about the NIL deals, specifically the ones Young had, he was in awe.
Saban said, per Chris Hummer of 247Sports:
"Our QB has already approached ungodly numbers, and he hasn't even played yet. If I told you what it is … it's almost seven figures."
When asked what draws players to get deals/endorsements like the ones Young got, Saban said that an athlete's name, image and likeness laws play into the factor.
Bryce Young is expected to be a top three pick and is expected to be the first QB taken in the 2023 NFL draft
While Young got a taste of some money, he's about to earn a lot more in April.
Young is currently the No. 1 QB prospect in the draft with Ohio State's C.J. Stroud right behind him.
Young's strong past two seasons have led to him being touted as the No. 1 quarterback in this year's draft class. In 2021, he led the Crimson Tide to a 13-2 record and became the first quarterback in school history to win the Heisman. He threw for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, seven touchdowns, and ran for three touchdowns. He completed 67 percent of his passes and has a quarterback rating of 167.4.
The following season, he led Alabama to a 10-2 record and had another productive season. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes along the way, recording 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions, and ran for four touchdowns.
Despite him being listed at 5-foot-10 and just 194 pounds, he's expected to be the first QB taken in the draft. The Chicago Bears currently hold the No. 1 overall pick and they seem to be committed to Justin Fields, so they may trade the pick to a QB-needy team who may draft Bryce Young.