Ethan Young has lived college football on the inside.
And he knows exactly where the sport is going in the future.
After getting his start on the media side, including a stint at Next Gen Stats with the National Football League, Young took a role at UCLA under Chip Kelly. He began as the team’s Director of Strategic Intelligence, putting his analytical mind to work for the football program, before taking on the role of Director of Player Development. In this position, Young not only spearheaded the team’s recruiting process but also helped with game management on the sidelines on Saturdays. He helped build a program that not only won 25 games between 2021 and 2023, but also sent 17 players — many of whom he recruited personally — to the NFL.
Now Young is working on the consulting side, advising college and NFL teams as a Client Director with The 33rd Team. But as college football remains a passion of his, and with a new season around the corner, Young has published his first book. Titled The Transformation of College Football: How Revenue Sharing Will Change the Game, Young looks at not only college football’s past, but its future, as the sport goes through a massive series of changes.
SB Nation caught up with Young over e-mail this week to find out about the book and the future of the sport we all love.
Full disclosure: This author has known Young for years and has worked with him on the media side in the past.
SB Nation: What was your journey from media, to UCLA, to now becoming an author like?
Young: It has certainly been a fun ride! When I started out in this personnel and scouting space, I would have never predicted everything that has gone on. Getting to be at UCLA during such a time of rapid innovation in terms of portal and NIL legislation was such a fun challenge. Seeing that continue to evolve with revenue sharing, and being involved in that by consulting several universities on the topic, as well as writing this book, has been really thought-provoking.
What was the toughest part of the recruiting game?
Recruiting gets a bad rap. I love recruiting. Connecting with players and their families is usually such a positive experience. The toughest part for me near the end was figuring out the truth a lot of the time. Did the player in question really receive the competing offer we were told, or did something get lost in a game of telephone?
How did the NIL changes impact recruiting and your role at UCLA?
NIL completely changed the game in recruiting. The inducement capabilities at some of our rivals, particularly in the 2023 and 2024 classes, were 10 to 15 times ours. We had to find really unique ways to punch above our weight.
What made you decide to write a book?
Since leaving UCLA and getting into consulting teams, I have found many of them to be dealing with the same challenges I faced in Westwood. Writing this book was my way to define the overall state of affairs in a comprehensive way, as I think there are a lot of misconceptions out there. Hopefully, shining an in-depth light on things can help make everyone aware of the reality, and make the answers to the test clear for those in my shoes.
When you reached that decision, did you have a thesis in mind, and if so, how did you resolve that during the process?
Certainly. Initially, I felt like a lot of the industry bemoaned Revenue Sharing, and I saw the implementation of it very differently than the commonly held “necessary evil” sentiment. Having institutional compensation capabilities is so powerful and allows programs to change their fortunes in a direct way rather than being capped by program size or reputation.
What is the basic argument advanced in “The Transformation of College Football?”
Beyond what I’ve mentioned already regarding this legislative period being a powerful opportunity rather than a burden, the basic argument advanced boils down to the importance of genuinely studying the professional sports model of organizational structure and philosophy, rather than making an additional hire or two, whether it be in cap management, negotiation, or personnel, to check the box in addressing that. There is a fundamental difference in the business that programs are in today vs. even what we were in 2018, and organizations need to recalibrate around that understanding.
What are the benefits of college football from revenue sharing, in your mind?
Players deserve to be paid for their leading contributions to the sport, first and foremost. Beyond those legal and ethical concerns, it is a massive competitive benefit for programs like ours at UCLA that were bringing a knife to the gun fight, so to speak. Parity is going to rise. Look at programs like Indiana, completely changing their fortunes and hitting double-digit wins for the first time in their history, going back to 1899 when the program started. And that is going to continue. Look at the 2026 recruiting class. There is more destination diversity than ever before. Beyond the traditional blue blood programs, Maryland, Houston, Texas Tech, BYU, and Syracuse have five-star players committed.
What are the potential pitfalls that revenue sharing presents for college football?
The biggest pitfall to me is the survival of other sports, which have existed on institutional and donor-based patronage. Mismanagement of funds opens up pathways that cannot continue, which is a shame and is completely avoidable. That is discussed in depth near the end of the book. There is also a competitive danger from poor stewardship. In an age of parity, programs that cling to the old way of doing things are living dangerously.
You’ve seen college football from the inside. What are the best parts of the sport?
Gameday is truly special. The pageantry and devotion fans have in college is truly unique.
There is also such a sandbox to develop players in. Look at position conversion players we had at UCLA – Kain Medrano came in as a wide receiver and is now a NFL linebacker. Colson Yankoff was a quarterback, who we moved around to WR, running back, and tight end, and is now playing for the Commanders as well. Hudson Habermehl played one year of high school football as a WR after transitioning from volleyball, walked on with us, and is going to be a top Big Ten TE this year. Carson Schwesinger was a high school safety who walked on with us, moved to LB, and went 33rd overall in the draft this year. Niki Prongos was a high school TE we recruited as an offensive lineman walk-on, who is now starting at left tackle for Stanford after transferring there.
The opportunity to be creative and innovative when building a roster at the college level is truly one of a kind.
What keeps you up at night when it comes to the future of college football?
Realignment is getting really whacky. I worry about that eroding the entertainment product to some degree over time. Geographical rivalries are such an important part of the fabric of the game.
What can people who buy “The Transformation of College Football” expect to find in your book?
A lot of history, and a great deal of philosophy. While I try to start at level 100 initially to give all readers an understanding of the current world order, we dive into long-winded, niche, and complex topics rather quickly.
Is there ever too much information when making decisions in football (whether with rev. sharing, recruiting, play calling, etc), and how do you decide what information is prioritized?
Overall, information in many of these disciplines is solely lacking compared to the professional ranks, and that gap is somewhat pressing to solve and the first order of business. That said, of the information that does exist, establishing relevance is vital. I always relied on historical precedent for prioritization.
How can people get a copy of the book?
You can pick up a copy on Amazon!
Why didn’t you tell your friends you were writing a book?
