Reggie Bush gets his Heisman Trophy back, plus it’s NFL Draft day

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Happy NFL Draft day! But first, we have a Heisman Trophy to return and another potential playoff format to debate.

Bush’s Heisman

What fellow winners are saying

After nearly 14 years, Reggie Bush finally got his Heisman Trophy back yesterday. The former USC running back won college football’s most prestigious award in 2005 but forfeited the trophy five years later after the NCAA determined he received “impermissible benefits” as a college athlete.

As The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel put it yesterday, the reinstatement of Bush’s Trophy is a long overdue reset on an outdated college sports mentality. With name, image and likeness legislation in full effect, it turns out players monetizing off their value in a multi-billion dollar sport is far from criminal. Here’s what fellow Heisman Trophy winners are saying about this:

• Johnny Manziel: “Thank you to the @HeismanTrophy for doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold. There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie simply because of the kind human being he is. I look forward to being on that stage with you this December @ReggieBush you deserve it.”
• Tim Tebow: “One of the greatest to ever play!”
• Robert Griffin III: “Reggie Bush got his Heisman Trophy Back. You LOVE to see it.”

Group of 5 Playoff?

Pros and cons of a G5 separation

It’s funny how much the playoff reorganization talk we’ve had this year considering we haven’t even seen the 12-team College Football Playoff in action yet. Yesterday, those discussions continued with reports of a potential Group of 5-only playoff structure.

Multiple administrators told The Athletic that while nothing is imminent, conversations about a separate playoff within the G5 are happening. The idea has gained traction ever since the Big Ten and SEC reshaped the new CFP contract to grant themselves far more revenue while payouts to the G5 will be relatively unchanged (around $1.8 million per G5 school).

➕ The pros: An exclusive playoff would grant G5 schools autonomy over their futures. For now, the G5 has a guaranteed spot in the 12-team CFP, but administrators wonder how long that will last. It wouldn’t be starting with an entirely blank slate because there are others it could learn from: The FCS playoffs follow a long-standing structure, while the NIT and its new rival, Fox Sports’ new College Basketball Crown tournament, offer a blueprint.

➖ The cons: AAC commissioner Mike Aresco has long argued against any G5 separation saying, “It would separate us from the big guys in the CFP, and that would be bad.” His conclusion is a separate playoff wouldn’t be as valuable as the CFP.

What do you think? Tell us in today’s Until Saturday poll.

Caleb Williams is expected to be the No. 1 draft pick tonight. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Draft Day Guide

The QBs, The capital, The new record?

The NFL Draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET today in Detroit. If you need a quick primer before this evening, I’ve got you covered.

• The Chicago Bears (my hometown team!) have the No. 1 pick and all signs point toward them selecting former USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Behind Williams, this draft class is loaded with QB talent; several projections, including from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, have QBs being taken with the first four picks. Beyond the top of the class, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, Kentucky’s Devin Leary and Florida State’s Jordan Travis, among others, will await their NFL fate throughout the weekend.
• The Arizona Cardinals have the most draft capital while the Cleveland Browns have the least. Dane projects the Cardinals to select Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Iowa CB Cooper DeJean and Penn State edge Chop Robinson with their three picks in the first round.
• Georgia holds the record for the most NFL Draft selections from a single program with 15 in 2022. Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh famously predicted last year that this Wolverines draft class would have 20 picks and break Georgia’s record. The Wolverines’ draft class is insanely deep, but only time will tell whether it can take Georgia’s crown. This will be a college storyline to follow throughout the weekend. (BTW, Dane’s mock draft has Harbaugh’s Chargers taking DT Kris Jenkins, RB Blake Corum, G Trevor Keegan and LB Michael Barrett Jr. to reunite with their college coach.)

Read up on every prospect in Dane’s ultimate draft guide, “The Beast.” Also, be sure to check out our NFL newsletter, Scoop City, for detailed analysis from draft weekend.

Three quick questions

Yesterday, NFL newsletter writer Jacob Robinson answered three questions about this weekend’s draft. Today, I’m sharing my answers.

(1) Boldest take?

OK, I’m going extra bold here: Malik Nabers is WR No. 1. Harrison has been widely regarded as the top WR in this draft class, but the coaches in Bruce Feldman’s NFL Draft confidential weren’t so sure. One offensive assistant said: “It’s Nabers and then there’s a gap.” This is an elite receiver class with Nabers, Harrison and Washington’s Rome Odunze easily the top three off the board. But the order they go in might come as a surprise.

(2) If any player falls, who will it be?

Brock Bowers is a top-10 pick in Dane’s seven-round mock draft, but there’s a chance the former standout Georgia TE will fall below that mark. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound prospect is “smaller and a little less explosive than people thought,” one NFL scout told Bruce. Also, as The Athletic’s Austin Mock details, taking Bowers in the top 10 could be a tough sell financially — the ROI is betting on Bowers immediately becoming an elite pass catcher.

(3) Which player could be a surprise early pick?

Dane has Troy edge Javon Solomon going near the end of Round 5, but he could be a sleeper prospect. His size (6-1, 246 pounds) doesn’t help his case, but he’s powerful and led the nation in sacks last season with 16. “Nobody in the draft has production like this kid,” one DL coach told Bruce. This isn’t to say Solomon becomes a Day 1, or even Day 2, selection, but he is someone to watch in the later rounds.

Quick Snaps

As always, stay up to date with the latest transfer portal moves here.

Iowa State will play its first-ever football game outside of the U.S. when it opens the 2025 season against Kansas State in Ireland.

Is Tennessee coach Josh Heupel overlooked? What are Kentucky QB Brock Vandagriff’s expectations? Seth Emerson answers some post-spring SEC questions.

You can buy tickets to every college football game here.

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(Top photo: Frank Franklin II / AP)