From the dugout to 'For You' page
Before the followers, before the brand deals and before his name became recognizable beyond Central Michigan baseball, Bryson Webb was just another undersized high school player trying to get noticed.
“I didn’t have a ton of offers,” Webb said. “I was a pretty late developer … definitely undersized. I had to bet on myself and trust that things would work out.”
Now, standing at third base for CMU, Webb carries more than a glove and a bat. He carries a platform, one built on more than 84,000 TikTok followers and over 50,000 Instagram followers. He also represents a growing shift in what it means to be a college athlete in the era of Name, Image and Likeness.
Webb’s journey to Division I baseball wasn’t guaranteed.
After committing to a Division II program out of high school, it took a standout summer performance, hitting .400 at a tournament in Omaha and a last-minute connection for his opportunity at Central Michigan to come together.
“When I came here, none of the coaches knew who I was,” Webb said. “None of the players knew who I was. It was a little awkward at first, just trying to find my place and prove that I belonged.”
That feeling of being overlooked hasn’t left him. Instead, it has fueled both his development on the field and his growth online.
Finding a voice online
Webb didn’t start posting with the intention of becoming an influencer.
About three years ago, he began experimenting with TikTok by documenting life as a Division I baseball player. Around the same time, NIL rules opened the door for athletes to profit from their own image.
“I just knew I wanted to work with brands,” Webb said. “I figured making a name for myself on social media was the way I was going to do that. It didn’t happen overnight. I just kept posting and learning as I went.”
What followed was trial and error; figuring out what worked, what didn’t and how to stay consistent.
“Fast forward three years, I’ve figured out a decent format,” he said. “A way to create content that resonates with people and shows what my life is really like.”
His videos have turned him into one of the more visible athletes on campus, even in a non-revenue sport, something that would have been far less likely just a few years ago.
As his platform has grown, so have the opportunities tied to it. Brands like Smackin’ Sunflower Seeds, Uber and Under Armour have pushed him beyond.
“I’m grateful for every last one of them, but it’s really just helped me grow my network,” Webb said. “Not only as a player but also as a student.
“I graduated last semester with my marketing degree, and that has just really opened my eyes to what I really want to do beyond college and beyond baseball.”
Playing under a different spotlight
That visibility doesn’t stay online; it follows him onto the field.
“I’m always a hot topic at the plate,” Webb said. “Other teams like to let me hear it. They know who I am before I even step in the box.”
Opposing players and fans are aware of his presence beyond the baseball field. A different kind of pressure arises, one that didn’t exist for athletes just a few years ago.
Still, Webb embraces it.
“It definitely adds pressure,” he said. “But at the same time, I enjoy it. You just have to block it out and play your game.”
After hitting .169 as a freshman in 2024, he raised his average to .272 in 2025 and is hitting .294 in 2026.
This season alone, he has totaled 42 hits, 42 runs scored and 23 RBIs with a .490 slugging percentage, all career highs. Across his career, Webb has appeared in 117 games, recording 85 hits, 80 runs and 48 RBIs while maintaining a .244 batting average.
Defensively, he has also taken a step forward, posting a .965 fielding percentage in 2026 with just four errors, a significant improvement from the previous year.
Despite the added pressure, Webb’s content reaches viewers directly, giving him control over how his story is told.
“I feel like I have an influence on people,” he said. “I can definitely share my story that hopefully people can relate to or actually have a goal towards.”
NIL meets reality
While Webb’s success might seem individual, it exists within a much larger financial ecosystem.
Central Michigan’s 2025–26 operating budget outlines the scale of resources tied to athletics and the broader university system. According to the 2025-2026 fiscal school year budget, the university operates on a total budget of more than $462 million, balancing revenues and expenses across academics, services and athletics.
Within that, athletics alone accounts for more than $29 million in expenditures, with around $21 million in subsidies supporting the program.
While NIL allows athletes to earn independently, many programs still rely heavily on institutional support.
For athletes like Webb, NIL doesn’t replace that system; it exists alongside it.
“I think being able to share these experiences has been a blessing just because I know that there is so much possibility beyond the game itself,” he said. “I think sky’s the limit for this stuff.”
A changing definition of student-athlete
As NIL continues to evolve, athletes are increasingly expected to balance more than just academics and competition. Branding, content creation and business decisions are now part of the equation.
For Webb, that balance comes down to consistency.
“It definitely places an extra little burden on my day,” Webb said. “I hate to call it a burden because I do enjoy doing it ... but there’s a lot of behind the behind the scenes stuff that goes on. And while that does sound like it’s a lot, it’s something I do enjoy doing.
“Shout out to all my friends and coaches and teammates here who not only have helped me embrace the role, but they’ve also allowed me to have a lot of freedom doing that stuff.”
For Webb, the numbers are part of the story, but not the whole thing.
What started as a way to get noticed has turned into something bigger, and he advises other collegiate athletes to stay true to themselves.
“Don’t try to hide or glorify anything that may actually not be as big of a deal as it is,” Webb said. “I try to just make sure every step of my day is as authentic as it can be ... I’m not trying to prove myself to anybody else anymore.”
