Bryce Young plays for a National Championship on Monday. And no matter what happens, he’s set himself up to succeed financially for many years to come.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has the opportunity Monday night to cement himself as one of the most decorated players to ever take a snap for the Crimson Tide. A national championship victory over Georgia will leave Young with only one thing left to gain: money.
Even before the California native stepped onto the field, his own head coach was hyping his earnings.
“Our QB has already approached ungodly numbers, and he hasn’t even played yet,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention. “If I told you what it is … it’s almost seven figures.”
Those comments came in July, a month and a half before Young began his first full season as a college starter.
Since then, much has changed. As Young continued to play well, brands flocked to his side. He now has deals with Cash App, Subway, Logan’s Roadhouse, Netflix, and B-Unlimited. He even hosts a podcast on Colin Cowherd’s the Volume platform. Young is also tied to multiple memorabilia and trading card companies, like Leaf, Wild Card and Onyx.
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This year, Young has broken both Tua Tagovailoa’s and Mac Jones’ single-season passing touchdown and passing yards records. His performance over the season has secured him the Heisman Trophy, the AP Player of theYear award, and the Maxwell award. He even has an iconic victory over his school’s arch nemesis, the Auburn Tigers. The only missing piece from the puzzle is a national championship.
“There really is no ceiling for how far he could go,” said Bob Dorfman, the Creative Director at Pinnacle Advertising and a sports marketing analyst. “I don’t know that there is anybody else out there that could equal him. You’re likely looking at millions of dollars of income for him. And with NIL revenue, I don’t think there is any doubt that he will certainly be at the top of the list next season in terms of getting opportunities, it’s a win across the board for him.”
Dorfman, who said in 2020 that former Alabama quarterback Tagovailoa could’ve made $3-$5 million easily, reckons the same thing for Young by the time his collegiate career is over.
“I’d say he will hit $5 million easy,” Dorfman said. “It could be more looking at partnerships with brands that will stay with him as he goes pro, now they can latch onto someone and build their brand before they even graduate.”
Young’s deals off the field equal his play on the field. And with more than half a dozen NIL deals thus far, it spawns the question as to what brand could be next to attach itself to the Alabama quarterback. Irwin Kishner, co-chair of the Sports Law Group at New York law firm Herrick Feinstein thinks a cryptocurrency platform could be next.
“The other big category is going to be crypto,” Kishner told Boardroom. “Crypto has grown really big in sports, [so] it’s just a matter of time before crypto platforms are associated with these stars.”
Kishner is not wrong. Crypto.com paid $700 million for the naming rights to the Los Angeles arena formerly known Staples Center in December. The same company also inked a 10-year, $175 million deal with the UFC in July of last year.
Elsewhere,the likes of Steph Curry and Tom Brady have taken similar steps, partnering with the crypto platform FTX and both ambassadors and equity stakeholders. In this neck of the woods, Kevin Durant and Thirty Five Ventures have their own partnership with Coinbase.
And while cryptocurrency is one area backed for serious growth, Young could also tie himself to a globally established apparel company like Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, or Puma.
“Nike and the other brands are always about getting the best, the cream of the crop. Barring any injury you have to look at him being the potential number one guy coming out of the draft next season. I think they’ll all be jumping on him pretty soon,” Dorfman said.
As Kishner points out, that’s true, win or lose.
“I think he is going to garner interest no matter what happens on Monday,” he said.
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