Metchie’s international marketability and NFL star potential more than offset his unfortunate injury as Alabama heads into the College Football Playoff and beyond.
The defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide reload their star-studded roster each year, and the Crimson Tide’s wide receiver alumni might be the greatest example of their embarrassment of riches. This year’s crop, led by John Metchie III, continued the tradition of excellence on the field. But now, in the name, image, and likeness era, those wide receivers have the opportunity to earn some serious marketing dollars.
While an injury will sideline Metchie in the College Football Playoff, the Canadian wideout can still leverage the game’s biggest stage to take his personal brand to new heights.
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Who is John Metchie III?
Personal Profile
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Number: 8
- Class: Junior
- Height: 6’
- Weight: 195 lbs.
- Hometown: Brampton, Canada
2021 Accomplishments
- SEC champion
- Second Team All-SEC
- Crimson Tide Co-offensive Player of the Year
The Metchie Brand
NIL Deals
Social Reach
- Instagram followers: 103k
Metchie is the latest Alabama star wide receiver to be a likely top NFL Draft pick. He follows 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, along with Jaylen Waddle and Jerry Jeudy, among others. They’re all great players in their own right, but none of Alabama’s past wideouts have the international flair and marketing appeal that Metchie brings to the table.
Born in Taiwan with stops in Ghana and Canada before landing in Tuscaloosa, Metchie’s unique journey to college football stardom reads like a movie script in itself. Although a season-ending ACL tear in the SEC Championship Game knocked him out of the College Football Playoff, he still has a major opportunity to build his brand in potentially his last chapter as a member of the Crimson Tide before turning his attentions to the NFL.
Very rarely, if ever, do college football players earn notoriety for their touchdown celebrations, but Metchie’s “Crimson Crane” has taken on a life of its own, especially after a last-second touchdown to win the Iron Bowl against Auburn. Quickly appearing on merchandise via a partnership BreakingT, the Alabama basketball team’s bench emulated the celebration, as did Tide alumni in the NFL, continuing to elevate Metchie to icon status while building association between Alabama and its star athletes across sports.
Metchie’s on-field success – 96 receptions and more than 1,140 receiving yards this season before the injury – combined with his international reach and over 100,000 Instagram followers make him an attractive potential ambassador for brands, despite him not having an active Twitter account.
Even after his injury, Opendorse still ranked Metchie as Alabama’s second-most marketable player by potential NIL earnings behind only Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. It also ranked Metchie No. 5 overall across the College Football Playoff teams.
As the Crimson Tide prepare to defend their National Championship without Metchie, he can still be a major part of the conversation. His absence will absolutely be a part of the narrative around Alabama’s semifinal matchup against the top secondary in the nation, Cincinnati, and fans can expect to see shots of him on the sideline during the game.
However he chooses to activate his own brand during the CFP, it will pay dividends whether he returns to Tuscaloosa for his senior season or take his talents to the NFL, continuing the legacy of Alabama wideouts.
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