Alabama's Bryce Young to Host Podcast for Colin Cowherd's The Volume in NIL Deal

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young signed a name, image and likeness deal to host The Bryce Young Podcast on The Volume podcast network, a joint venture by Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd and iHeartRadio.

"I just thought, you know what? This is really cool," Cowherd told Alex Weprin of the Hollywood Reporter. "It's an opportunity for fans to hear somebody, to get the perspective of the quarterback, the on-field coach of Alabama, the best dynasty of my life. So it just felt kind of natural."

Young will team with Jake Crain of The Volume's Jboy Show to release an episode each Tuesday throughout the Crimson Tide's 2021 season.

The 20-year-old California native inherited the Bama offense from Mac Jones, a first-round NFL draft pick now set to start for the New England Patriots, and he wasted no time establishing himself as a Heisman Trophy contender in Saturday's 44-13 blowout win over No. 14 Miami.

The 6-foot, 194-pound Young completed 27 of his 38 passes for 344 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions as the top-ranked Tide opened their 18th national title defense.

"It felt great," the former 5-star recruit told reporters. "Obviously any time there's offseason, there's a lot of anticipation and, you know, you start to get a little anxious. But for us to get the first win out of the way, did some good things, and there's some stuff for us to improve on."

The standout performance along with the Tide likely spending the entire season in the championship conversation pushed Young to the front of the pack in terms of NIL potential.

CAA agent Ed Berry, who represented the Bama signal-caller in the podcast deal, told Weprin these types of deal are a no-brainer for a college athlete.

"I think this generation, that is what they know, that is what they have grown up with their whole life," he said. "So them putting a microphone in front of their face and doing a 30- to 45-minute show, talking about the week? That's a Thursday night for them. It's not outside the box. It is very much who they are. I definitely think this will be the first of many that you see make these types of moves."

Financial details of the agreement weren't released, but many student-athletes are already starting to capitalize on the NIL changes stemming from June's Supreme Court ruling that said the NCAA could no longer limit "education-related benefits" because of antitrust law.

In late July, Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Young's deals had already reached "almost seven figures." Darren Rovell of the Action Network ranked the quarterback fifth among college athletes in best position to capitalize on the NIL space.

Young and the Crimson Tide are back in action Saturday when they host Mercer, an FCS program, ahead of a difficult four-game stretch that includes games against No. 13 Florida, No. 20 Ole Miss and No. 5 Texas A&M.