Bryce Young’s Stunning Sugar Bowl Has NFL Fans Excited

In what’s likely to be his final game with the Crimson Tide, the Alabama star put on a show.

Bryce Young took the field for what’s almost definitely his final game with Alabama in Saturday’s Sugar Bowl against the Kansas State. 

Unsurprisingly, the former Heisman Trophy winner delivered a masterclass performance in the Crimson Tide’s 45–20 victory, leaving one final imprint on the college game. 

After much speculation about how much he would play, or if he would even play at all, in the Sugar Bowl after Alabama missed out on the College Football Playoff, Young started the game and played in most of the Tide’s rout of the Big 12 champions. He started off slow, as did Alabama, but eventually turned on the jets, beginning with a touchdown late in the first quarter. 

The scores continued to keep pouring in for Young, who ended the game with five touchdowns on 15-of-21 passing. He also racked up 321 passing yards, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers. 

Bryce Young has put up 5 touchdowns today 😳

(via @AlabamaFTBL)pic.twitter.com/7Y7zjQZ5mv

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 31, 2022

With the result already sealed halfway through the fourth quarter, Nick Saban removed Young from the game to a thunderous round of applause from the crowd in the packed Caesars Superdome. The scene certainly seemed like a curtain call for Young, who’s expected to be one of the top picks in 2023 NFL draft.

Though he hasn’t officially declared for the draft, evaluations of Young have differed due to his smaller physical frame. While the 21-year-old is listed at six-feet tall, 194 pounds, some analysts have questioned if he has the build of a professional quarterback. 

What Young might lack in size and strength, he certainly has in raw talent, which he put on display in the Sugar Bowl. Those watching on Saturday made sure to point out Young’s spectacular showing to any of his remaining detractors with the NFL draft now looming in the quarterback’s future.

Some NFL GM is going to get fired for talking himself into a QB not named Bryce Young.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 31, 2022

Bryce Young is the #1 overall pick in next years NFL Draft. I pray we don’t overthink this I find some arbitrary reason to move someone ahead of him.

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) December 31, 2022

Bryce Young bet on himself by playing today, and may have moved up from #1 in the NFL draft to #1.

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 31, 2022

Dear NFL… Bryce Young is next Drew Brees. Now back to college hoops

— Jimmy Dykes (@CoachJimmyDykes) December 31, 2022

sometimes NFL teams convince themselves that they shouldn't draft the extremely good college football quarterback, so let's be loud and clear about this one: Bryce Young #1 overall is the only option

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) December 31, 2022

Someone is gonna talk themselves into Bryce Young as anything other than the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and I can't wait to make fun of them for eternity

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 31, 2022

Bryce Young has been great at football his entire career in the SEC, where the players are very big. I think he will probably be great at football in the NFL, where the players are also very big.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 31, 2022

I get the reasons why some might do it, but if I'm an NFL GM, I can't imagine taking another quarterback this year before Bryce Young.

— David Ubben (@davidubben) December 31, 2022