In his first season as a starter, Alabama’s sophomore quarterback Bryce Young took home the Heisman Award. The Tide, once again, made it to the National Championship Game and fell short to the Georgia Bulldogs. After sending several key starters to the NFL, Young is back with a reloaded offense to make a run at the title and being the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
RECRUITMENT
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Young was named 2019 All-American Bowl Player of the Year, MaxPreps Player of the Year, and High School QB of the Year by the National Quarterback Club, amongst a small trove of other awards. He played his high school ball at esteemed Mater Dei and was the first overall player in the class of 2020 per 247Sports.
With the awards and ratings, Young was pursued by many big-name programs, including USC, Ohio State, Georgia, and Oregon. He was recruited heavily by then Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian and committed to Alabama.
STATISTICS
After playing sparingly as a freshman, the offense was entirely Young’s in 2021, and he destroyed it statistically. He completed 66.9% of his passes for 4,872 yards while throwing for 47 TDs against only 7 INTs. Young wasn’t called on to rush much but did rush for 81 yards and three scores.
Young led his team to the title game, where the Tide ultimately lost to the Bulldogs. He won the AP Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Heisman Trophy. Young was also a Consensus All-American.
FILM STUDY
Ball Placement
This throw by Bryce Young from the opposite hash is absurd pic.twitter.com/VJX7g7Qlw6
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) May 5, 2022
Routinely, Young makes throws with ball placement over defenders while moving in the pocket. In this particular instance, he maneuvers around the pocket and delivers a perfect throw before getting pummelled by a defender. It’s a play he will have to make routinely in the NFL, and Young makes it look effortless.
absolutely ridiculous ball placement from Bryce Young … gotta catch that pic.twitter.com/y1fGqDpFVN
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 11, 2022
Filthy ball placement. I don’t need to say anything else on this one.
If no answer is found at QB until then, i would be very happy with Bryce Young in the 2023 draft!#Eaglespic.twitter.com/dyjwcLwCpP
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) December 4, 2021
He directs the receiver on the fly, and then Young anticipates perfectly, throwing a beautiful ball in the perfect location.
Movement/Footwork
The athletic ability of Young has been well documented, and he is quick when he runs, but he is definitely not a running QB. He navigates the pocket and feels pressure with an uncanny ability. Young steps up to avoid pressure, quickly resets his feet, and delivers nearly perfect throws every time.
Unflappable
Young can make throws off-platform and processes plays quickly. He can read defenses and gets through progressions in a snap. Alabama plays the highest-level NCAA defenses every year and in high-pressure situations. Young is preparing for the NFL every week. He’s surrounded by elite talent, but the offensive line didn’t give him a ton of time on most plays.
AREAS OF CONCERN
Arm Strength
a lot of chatter about bryce young’s arm strength – threw this damn near 60 on a dime flat footed #2023NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/6Frw6uwfPd
— Ray G 🏁 (@RayGQue) March 29, 2022
Alright, this was 60-yards downfield, but this is about it as far as his arm, and it was underthrown a bit. Young has a good arm, but it’s definitely not going to blow anyone away. He can make opposite hash throws, and his ability to throw with anticipation helps his “average” arm. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, I have seen enough not to doubt this aspect of his game.
Size
The bigger issue with Young is size. He’s close to six feet tall; I have seen multiple different measurements. He is likely a bit shorter and really close to 200 lbs. Definitely small for the NFL game, and Young will not be able to be on a team where he has to take 50 sacks a year. His mobility will help, obviously, but his size is a concern.
CONCLUSION
As one of the top devy prospects, the cost to get Young is astronomical. He will likely be a top-five NFL pick in 2023, if not the first overall. We don’t have to wait long for NFL return, it figures into his price as well. If you don’t already have him, he will be expensive to acquire, and if you are in a devy startup, he will be one of the first picks.
Young has the tools to be successful and will have another monstrous season in 2022. There are doubts about his size, but he already makes NFL throws and plays. Young will move on to the next level, but I have doubts about him growing into a top-10 NFL QB.
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