The first Alabama quarterback to win a Heisman Trophy is now the program’s first No. 1 overall pick in an NFL draft in 75 years.

Bryce Young was taken at the top of Thursday night’s draft by the Carolina Panthers, ending weeks of speculation after the Panthers traded into that spot with the Chicago Bears in March.

Young joins Harry Gilmer, picked by Washington in 1948, as the only No. 1 overall NFL draft picks in Crimson Tide history. Quarterback Joe Namath was a No. 1 pick by the New York Jets in the 1965 American Football League draft, two years before that league held a common draft with the NFL.

Betting odds had moved considerably in mid-April, placing Young as the favorite to be taken first after Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud had been considered the Panthers’ most likely pick following their blockbuster trade. But the Panthers, coached by former NFL quarterback Frank Reich, did not tip their hand about the pick until Thursday.

Commissioner Roger Goodell greeted Young as he walked across the stage in Kansas City and became the third former Alabama quarterback drafted in the first round over the past four years. Mac Jones was the New England Patriots’ pick at No. 15 in 2021, and Tua Tagovailoa went to the Miami Dolphins fifth overall in 2020. Before Tagovailoa, no Tide quarterback had been a first-round pick since Richard Todd in 1976.

Young’s selection marked the 15th consecutive in which an Alabama player has been chosen in the first round, setting a new NFL record. Alabama last year tied Miami’s record of 14 consecutive drafts set from 1995-2008.

A native of California, Young flipped his commitment from USC to Alabama in 2019, setting the stage for a three-year career in Tuscaloosa that saw him ascend to the starting spot in 2020 upon Jones’ departure to the NFL.

Young’s 2021 sophomore season saw him break the program’s 52-year old record for single-game passing yards in a November win over Arkansas. He later led underdog Alabama to a comeback win over Georgia in the SEC championship game, then a week later won the Heisman Trophy by a 1,357-point margin. Young, who added several other national and quarterback-specific awards, led Alabama to the College Football Playoff national championship game, where it lost to Georgia.

This past fall, Young entered the 2022 season with the second-shortest odds to win the Heisman again but his statistical production suffered as he dealt with the loss of top receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie to the NFL. He also missed a game-and-a-half with a shoulder injury in early October, returning to start at Tennessee and leading Alabama to a comeback attempt that was ultimately topped by a last-minute Vols game-winning drive.

Alabama’s second loss of the season, to LSU in early November, effectively ended Young’s hope of winning a national title as a starter because his time at Alabama was widely considered to end after his junior season. Despite a firm position as a top-five draft pick, Young decided to play in Alabama’s Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State even after the Tide narrowly missed the playoff.

Young, twice named a team captain, holds the school record for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season after throwing for 4,872 and 47 in 2021. His 8,356 career passing yards are second in program history the 9,019 from AJ McCarron, who was a three-year starter for the Tide.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.