Nick Saban Reveals Alabama QB Bryce Young Earned ‘Unholy Numbers’ In Income From NIL Deals

And now for another “tell me you’re hiring without telling me you’re hiring” example involving Alabama coach Nick Saban and quarterback Bryce Young.

Speaking at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention on Tuesday, Saban raised eyebrows when asked about name, image and likeness laws. In his response, he revealed that Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young is doing pretty well for himself in this new era of varsity athletics.

“Our QB has already approached ungodly numbers, and he hasn’t even played yet,” Saban said, by Chris Hummer of 247Sports. “If I tell you what it is… it’s almost 7 digits.

Not bad for someone who pitched for a touchdown in the first year.

Details of the dollar have largely been hard to come by with the NIL laws being so new, but it would hardly be surprising if Young wins in all six figures, even though he has yet to start a college game. Young has already signed with CAA for marketing agreements and he has an agreement with Cash App. Young also has a large number of social media followers – nearly 83,000 Instagram followers despite only three posts.

His success as a rookie has largely established that foundation. Young was a coveted five-star rookie for Tide’s Class of 2020 and the No. 1 quarterback in that group. Some even predicted he would win the starting position against Mac Jones before last year. However, Young is set to start this year and could quickly become the face of college football. William Hill Sportsbook gives him the third best Heisman preseason odds at +900.

Yes, being the starting quarterback in Alabama will almost always be a lucrative business in the NIL era. Saban can use this to his advantage, like any school in a state where NIL laws are in effect. But it’s also worth pointing out that Young had marketing value even before he set foot on campus.

Keep in mind that the NCAA waiver waiver for NIL states that high school athletes can also participate in the same types of NIL opportunities without affecting their NCAA eligibility. For prospects like Young, market value doesn’t have to coincide with being a newbie in college. It wouldn’t be surprising if some top-notch recruits or true freshmen end up earning earlier in their careers than many established newbies in their careers.