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Alabama

Mel Kiper explains what makes Alabama's Bryce Young special, his No. 1 quarterback

Untitled design (2)by: Sam Gillenwater05/31/22samdg_33
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Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images.

After the release of his 2023 Top 25 NFL Big Board this morning, Mel Kiper was live on ESPN’s SportsCenter to break down the ranking. A pair of Alabama stars took the top spots with DE Will Anderson Jr. at #1 & QB Bryce Young at #2. With five quarterbacks on the list, Young has the early lead to be the first signal caller of the board.

“The way he sees the field is phenomenal,” said Kiper. “Bryce Young is obviously the point guard distributing the football. He can move. He can run. But he chooses most of the time not to. This is a kid that has all the skills.”

The 2022 Heisman winner threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns as he led Alabama to a 13-2 record. That included an appearance in the National Championship against Georgia. Young unquestionably won the Heisman Trophy with 684 first-place votes, which was the 10th most all time.

One of the big transitions for Young this upcoming season will be the changes in his receiving corp. Jameson Williams and John Metchie III led Alabama in receiving by over 700 yards. With both gone to the NFL, Young will need to produce similar numbers with new faces at WR.

“He won’t have John Metchie III or Jameson Williams, but he will have Tyler Harrell coming over from Louisville and Jermaine Burton coming over from Georgia. He’ll have those two key guys. One of those two will have to step up and be the go-to option,” said Kiper.

Quarterback is the most talked about position come draft day. Behind Young on the Big Board is Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, and Kentucky’s Will Levis. The biggest conversation from now until next April will be which will be selected first between Young and Stroud.

After being a Heisman finalist himself in 2022, Stroud will be in the same conversations as Young all season long. “That’s going to be a heck of a battle all the way down to late April of next year to see whether it’s Stroud from Ohio State or Bryce Young of Alabama who becomes the No. 1 quarterback overall,” said Kiper.

Young is the early favorite to repeat as Heisman in 2023. If he puts up a similar season to what he did during his sophomore campaign, NFL fans will hear his name very early next year in Kansas City.