The Cincinnati Bengals are taking a chance on former Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young. Starting left guard Dylan Fairchild played with Young in college and has nothing but nice things to say about reuniting with his former teammate.
Cincinnati Bengals fourth-round draft pick Colbie Young already has a handful of former college teammates on his new team.
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Cornerback DJ Ivey and backup guard Jalen Rivers each played with Young during his two-year run at Miami from 2022-23. Starting left guard Dylan Fairchild spent 2024 with Young at Georgia.
Fairchild expressed his excitement about Young becoming his teammate once again this week.
"He's an extremely talented guy," Fairchild said to Charlie Goldsmith
. "I was super fired up when I found out he was coming here. I've seen one-arm grabs. I've seen him dunk on a couple of guys and go over the top. He can make some crazy plays. He has made a couple of fade balls on the sideline that have been super impressive to me. I've been a fan of his game since Day 1. As soon as he walked in the building, we were pumped to have him."
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The excitement surrounding Young has everything to do with what he can do on the field. The reservations mainly revolve around what he may do off the field. Young was arrested in 2024 for battery and assault
on his ex-girlfriend and their unborn child. The charges were later dropped.
Fairchild was at Georgia when it all went down, and he still stands by him.
Dylan Fairchild vouches for Colbie Young
Young ended up missing most of Georgia's 2024 season as he was suspended while the investigation persisted. That was before he already spent over nine months with the program. Fairchild very much enjoyed being around him.
"He's a great guy, too. I know there's the off the field stuff. He's a great dude. He's going to bring great energy. He's a very positive guy. He's a great dude. He loves being around the guys. I know that for a fact. I'm an O-Lineman, he's a receiver, we talk. He's a great dude."
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It's reassuring to know someone who knew Young back then feels confident in as a person as well as a player. Drafting him is ultimately a football decision, and Cincinnati's scouting department put in the work to determine when to take a chance on him. Head coach Zac Taylor feels enough work was done in that regard.
"There's been times I've signed up for great risk in the past," Taylor told media members Saturday
. "I've put my hand up when maybe there are some of those red flags up there. This is one that I feel great about because you go through the process of the last seven years, guys I've gotten to spend a lot of time with once we got them in here and guys I wanted, and sometimes it's more difficult than others.
"This is one I feel great about. And I feel great everyone is going to feel that."
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Young landing with a team that has multiple familiar faces is also a positive for him. He's been off the field for most of the last two years, but played great football during his Miami days with both Ivey and Rivers.
Cincinnati is counting on Young to capitalize with his new environment that may not feel entirely new.
