By Jyesha Nance
Remember how great of a duo quarterback Bryce Young and wide receiver John Metchie III were at Alabama? During their standout 2021 season together, Young and Metchie were one of the most prolific quarterback-receiver connections in college football, winning an SEC Championship and culminating in a historic championship-contending campaign.
Young won the prestigious Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, largely with the help of Metchie serving as one of his primary targets. Metchie led the Crimson Tide with 96 receptions for 1,142 receiving yards and eight touchdowns before suffering an ACL injury in the SEC Championship Game.
It seems like yesterday when Young and Metchie were working together to score touchdowns; their last ever touchdown connection was a 13-yard pass in the second quarter of the 2021 SEC Championship Game against Georgia. The score gave Alabama a 14-10 lead, helping propel the Crimson Tide to a 41-24 victory.
Well, the two are back in business. On Sunday, they scored their first NFL touchdown together—an 8-yard strike in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns, marking Metchie’s first regular-season score as a Panther.
Metchie signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Carolina Panthers in March 2026 after stints with the Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.
The one-year deal reunited Young and Metchie for the first time in their NFL careers. With plenty of football left and the Panthers looking to repeat as NFC South champions, there is room for many more touchdowns and memories, as the duo is just get started.