LSU Basketball guard Trace Young boasts over 91 million views and approximately 21.5 million likes across his TikTok account, successfully establishing a lucrative brand for himself off the court.
Entering his second season after transferring from Colorado State, this fifth-year senior isn’t taking the opportunity of running up and down the court in a purple and gold jersey for granted.
“Playing Division I basketball has always been a dream of mine since I was a young kid,” Young says. “Obviously, I feel like a lot of kids growing up have that dream, but being able to play in the SEC… and to be a part of a program like this is amazing, so it’s definitely a dream come true.”
What makes the sport of basketball so beautiful?
For starters, an individual can undergo significant life-changing lessons and experiences over the course of their career. From Young’s perspective, being a student of the game is an important factor in personal growth.
“I’d say more than anything, it’s taught me really about how to buy into different roles,” Young explains. “One place might have you having a really big role, where you’re contributing a lot. [While] another might give you a completely separate role, so just being able to adapt where you are and thrive is important.”
Falling in love with polishing his craft has pushed Young to become more consistent in establishing a more dedicated work ethic and emphasizing time management.
However, when focusing on ambitions outside of the basketball court, Young has developed a rather unconventional love for content creation. Currently boasting over 350,000 followers across his social media platforms, he understands the importance of maintaining an audience.
Starting in July 2021, student-athletes could begin receiving compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). During this period of time, Young started to gain traction online.
“When NIL first became a thing, it was a really cool feeling because I had already been making content and making videos because I just loved it and enjoyed it,” Young said. “It felt good getting my first brand deals and getting paid because athletes so far, beyond me, were unable to capitalize on such an opportunity.”
Ranging from collaborations with Nautica, Powerade, and Raising Cane’s, Young has received endorsements from numerous highly respected brands and is beginning to add zeros to the balance in his bank account.
Entering his 25th year of coaching collegiate basketball, LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt McMahon is a strong believer in the university’s ability to offer opportunities to his players.
“On and off the court, LSU provides the best platform in the country,” Head Coach Matt McMahon said. “It’s the greatest brand in all of sports, and we have high-character players.”
In early September, Amazon Prime released a limited docuseries titled The Money Game that examined six LSU student-athletes as they navigate the complex world surrounding NIL.
The stacked cast included Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, as well as social media phenomenon Olivia Dunne (Livvy), who was part of the LSU Gymnastics team that captured the 2024 NCAA women’s gymnastics national championship.
Additionally, Trace Young was invited to be a part of this special project, which was an amazing experience.
“It was really crazy because it happened so fast,” Young said. “I remember just getting an email from Amazon that just let me know that they were really interested in having me featured in a documentary. I had to go do a couple of interviews and make sure I was somebody that really fit the part.”
In the eyes of Young, this stacked cast has paved the way for future generations of student-athletes.
“We were really the cavaliers, man,” Young stated. “I mean, before us, there was no blueprint. There was no [previous] way to maximize your potential in NIL. It’s a new age.”
Moving forward, as a devout follower of Christ, Young believes that everything happens for a reason.
“I think God blesses people with different abilities and different gifts,” Young said. “I’m a really strong believer that God has an individual path for all of us. Not all of our paths look the same.”
With such a large following, Young wants to use his platform to document his spiritual journey.
“You know, transferring schools was a really difficult choice for me because I didn’t know where to go,” Young said. “But I did know that if I was keeping God first and I was trusting his plan for me, then wherever he sent me was going to be a part of his plan, so you can’t really choose wrong.”
Trace Young hopes to continue leading by example for other aspiring basketball influencers.
