Not sure if anyone else came across this issue on the new course, or if Rick explained this step and I just missed it, or if its related to the Unity version I am using (2021.3.17f1) but hopefully this helps someone else in the future.
When playing the game to read the debug log, I was receiving an error in the console that did not allow me to see the message. I was able to find the answer by a kind soul here, so I will repost for credit where its due.
Solution to issue that worked for me: unity3d - Unity: Conflict between new InputSystem and old EventSystem - Stack Overflow
But to convert this just in case the thread goes away at some point:
" These type of errors are due to conflict between old and new input system packages and are probably resolved in latest updates. To resolve this issue, Go to Edit → Project Settings → Player ->Under Other Settings under Configuration is the option Active Input Handling . Select Both . Unity will restart. You will be able to use old input system packages and the new ones also simultaneously."
Good luck all and happy dev learning!