From Binghamton to the NFL: Colbie Young Drafted by Bengals

For anyone from the Southern Tier who’s spent Friday nights cheering on hometown athletes, seeing one of our own make it to the NFL is a dream realized.

Binghamton native Colbie Young officially heard his name called during the 2026 NFL Draft Saturday when the Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fourth round with the 140th overall pick.

And if you’re from this area? You know exactly why this feels like such a hometown win.

READ MORE: 46 Professional Athletes With Ties to the Binghamton Area

From Binghamton High School to the NFL Stage

Before he was catching passes on national television, Young was making a name for himself right here at Binghamton High School.

As a senior with the Patriots, he scored 14 touchdowns in just eight games and quickly became one of the area’s standout athletes.

From there, his journey wasn’t exactly the traditional straight path to the NFL, which makes this story even better.

Young spent a season at Lackawanna College before earning his shot at the University of Miami Hurricanes football, where he pulled in 79 catches for 930 yards and 10 touchdowns in 22 games.

Then came another huge leap.

He transferred to the University of Georgia Bulldogs football, stepping into one of the biggest programs in college football.

Overcoming Setbacks on the Road to the NFL

Young’s final college season wasn’t without challenges.

He missed time with an injury but still finished his senior year at Georgia with 26 catches for 358 yards and a touchdown.

He also faced off-field scrutiny during his college career, but both Georgia and the Bengals said they did extensive background work before moving forward.

Zac Taylor said the team felt confident in both Young as a player and as a person after doing their homework.

And Young made it clear after being drafted that he’s focused on one thing now: proving himself.

Making a Confident First Impression

When reporters asked him what his best route is, Young gave an answer Bengals fans are already loving.

"Any route that Joey B calls, that's going to be my best route."

That’s a pretty confident way to introduce yourself to Joe Burrow.  Young also said he’s excited to learn from star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

And in a full-circle moment, he revealed he actually met Higgins years ago at a football camp when he was younger.

A Message from the NFL Back to Binghamton

Maybe the best part of this entire story was what Young said when asked for a message to people back in Binghamton.

It’s possible. Never give up, trust yourself, trust the people around you. Stay true to yourself and keep working.

That feels like something every kid playing football under Friday night lights in the Southern Tier should hear right now. Because this time, the NFL dream didn’t happen somewhere far away. It happened for one of our own.