According to records from the Athens-Clarke County Jail in Athens, Ga., Thomas was booked at 3:20 a.m. No bond was set.

Georgia law uses the term "family violence" similarly to how other states use the term "domestic violence."

This is the second time the Eufaula, Ala., native has been arrested on family violence charges.

In January 2023, Thomas faced charges of felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor battery after the University of Georgia police said he prevented a woman from leaving a dorm by blocking her exit and telling her she couldn't leave, and of causing bruises to the woman's body, according to ESPN, which reviewed an arrest warrant.

Thomas successfully completed a pretrial diversion program to have those charged dropped in March 2023. The Athletic reported that Thomas was held out of much of Georgia's spring practice as a disciplinary measure.

Georgia officials were aware of the latest arrest.

"This is a pending legal matter. We will have no further comment at this point," Steven Drummond, Georgia's associate athletic director for strategic communications, told The Athletic.

Thomas, 21, spent two years at Mississippi State before moving to Georgia via the 2023 transfer portal. In 11 games (eight starts) for Georgia last season, he notched 23 catches for 383 yards with one touchdown.

With the departure of star tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Ladd McConkey to the NFL, Thomas was expected to play an important role for Georgia's passing game.

"The reality is, find a top-10 team in college football right now that doesn't have great support," Lanning told ESPN on Thursday. "Do we have a lot more than everybody else? I think that'd be an exaggeration or we'd never lose. Everyone else right now is focused on our ice cream cone, and if I'm busy looking at theirs, that means mine's melting."

Last week at SEC Media Days, Smart -- whom Lanning coached under at Georgia before taking over at Oregon -- jokingly said he wished he "could get some of that NIL money (Nike founder and Oregon alum Phil Knight) is giving Dan Lanning."

Lanning said that the Ducks' NIL program, which helped them land key transfers such as linebacker Evan Stewart and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, will always give them a shot to land some of the country's best players, but they're hardly alone.

"I'm sure there's a correlation, right?" Lanning said, noting how defending national champion Michigan had 13 players selected in this year's NFL draft. "Is our situation different than other teams in the nation? Absolutely. Is our team's situation different than the premier teams in the nation? Probably not. And that's OK. We want to be in that (group)."

While there will be an adjustment period as Oregon prepares for its first season in the Big Ten, Lanning wants to see his players be themselves.

"We don't want to come in and be a team that follows the trends; we want to be a team that sets the trends," Lanning told ESPN. "That just means studying yourself and how you can improve. It'll be a learning experience."

Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was elevated to head coach with Harbaugh's typical energetic backing and a reset defined by major changes was underway.

A bunch of new coaches were hired, there will be a new starting quarterback in Ann Arbor -- J.J. McCarthy was the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft -- and a couple first-time conference opponents; USC pays a visit to the Big House on Sept. 21, and Oregon rolls in Nov. 2.

Moore didn't change one specific part of Harbaugh's program: the primary goal is still the same.

"I think every year for us, our goal is to win (the national title). We're not going to stray away from the goal of trying to win it all every year," Moore said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. "When you're at Michigan, that should be your goal every single year."

Harbaugh isn't an easy act to follow. He won 10 games six times in nine seasons and left after three straight years in the College Football Playoff, capped with a 15-0 season and national title.

The significance of standing before the media in Indianapolis as the head coach of the Wolverines wasn't lost on Moore.

"It's a humble blessing, first African American head coach at Michigan. It's a blessing," he said. "I think it's awesome. But it also shows that every young man, regardless of the color of your skin, wherever you're from, you can do whatever you want. Don't allow people to tell you that you can't do something. If you want to go do it, go take the opportunity and strive to be great."

Moore said there is no timetable for naming McCarthy's successor or any other depth chart decision. Each spot will be determined on merit in fall camp, he said, an intentional plot to encourage the collective group to focus on what he said Michigan defines as important.

"Taking the necessary steps to be elite, to do all the things that we set out to do -- win the big games, beat our rivals, beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten, go to College Football Playoff and win it," Moore said.

The Tigers bring back Klubnik and seven other starters on offense, an asset head coach Dabo Swinney understands can be a difference-maker.

"It's a blessing certainly when you have your starting quarterback back, for sure. I mean, we've had great ones that have come in, it was their first year in our system, and have done well," Swinney said Thursday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte, N.C. "It's always great when you're not starting over, and you've got a guy that's grown, had some experience under his belt. I mean, Cade is a great young man, a great talent. He's just blossoming right before our eyes physically and mentally, also as a leader.

"We're excited about Year 2 with him as our starter. Also with (offensive coordinator and QBs coach) Garrett (Riley). It will be Cade's first time to have the same coach, same system. I think we all expect to see some great growth from that."

Klubnik was a full-time starter for the first time in 2023 and also played under Riley in 2022. He had 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season and credits a simplification from Riley for his optimistic outlook on 2024.

"I would just say one of the biggest things is taking it one week at a time," Klubnik said. "I'm never looking to the next opponent, never looking to two weeks ahead, three weeks ahead. Truly just focusing on one day at a time. That's one thing we've talked about. Just being automatic in everything, every little play, automatic and efficient. Making the routine plays routine. Just sticking to the system."

In addition to Riley, Klubnik has used networking and resources available to pick the brains of other quarterbacks. He's checked in with Clemson greats Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence in addition to Eli and Peyton Manning and a connection to Klubnik's hometown of Austin, Texas.

"I've talked to Deshaun and Trevor a little bit each. They're both chasing their NFL careers right now, so they don't have a lot of time to come back to Clemson and train with me," Klubnik said. "I've definitely had some great mentors. Nick Foles is a guy that went to my high school (Westlake). Got to spend a couple days with the Mannings, pick their brains. Learned a couple little cheat codes that I never even heard before."

ANOTHER ORANGE

Syracuse was excited to introduce another quarterback with experience -- Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord. He left the Buckeyes at the end of the 2023 season and said he didn't think twice about returning close to his New Jersey home for the "conference of quarterbacks."

Where does McCord fit in the league QB pecking order?

"I guess we'll see. I'm not one to stand up here and make predictions or whatever. But I'm confident in my game. I'm confident in the players around me. So more than anything, I'm excited to play," he said. "Still have a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth from the last time I was on the field against Michigan. I've been eager to get back out on the field and start competing."

NORTH BY SUBTRACTION

Mack Brown anticipates feeling the loss of his quarterback, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. But he also expects the Tar Heels to be ... better in 2024.

North Carolina enters fall camp eyeing a third different starting quarterback in three seasons following Sam Howell and Maye. The competitors include Jacolby Criswell, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and Conner Harrell.

"I remember the year that Drake started," said Brown, who returned to coaching from a broadcasting role at ESPN five years ago. "(Someone) told me the other day: There's not much buzz about your team right now. I think that's what was said when Drake and Jacolby were competing for the quarterback spot. We started 9-1. Conner has played enough now that he gets it. He's got to chance to be really good. Max has thrown 900 balls in the SEC.

"I do think what will happen is our defense is going to be better. Last year, we ran the ball more like we did when Michael Carter and Javonte Williams were here. We're going to help the defense more with our offense. These guys have to step up and they can't be Drake, they can't be Sam, but we can be a better team."

O'Brien, who took over as Boston College's coach in February, has fully embraced the evolution of the transfer portal, the world of name, image and likeness (NIL) and a new roster limit that allows 105 players to be on scholarships.

"Coaching is also all about being able to adapt," O'Brien said Wednesday at Atlantic Coast Conference media days in Charlotte, N.C. "In the guys I've worked for, Nick Saban would say it all the time, Bill Belichick, you've got to adapt. If you don't adapt, the game is going to pass you by.

"We're doing a good job of that at BC. We're adapting to the changing times. We have a lot of great people in the administration helping with that. Obviously, Blake James, our athletic director. We're very adaptable and I think we're on the right track."

A Boston native, O'Brien was Penn State's coach for two seasons (2012-13) before taking the reins of the Houston Texans from 2014-20. He then served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in 2021 and 2022, holding the same two roles with the New England Patriots last season.

"I try to impart some of my experiences, my wisdom, I've been doing this for 32 years, on these guys," O'Brien said. "Hopefully, that's a role I can play on this team that can help this team get better every day because I've had a lot of great experiences, I've learned a lot."

The Eagles are coming off a 7-6 campaign under Jeff Hafley, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Boston College capped its 2023 season by topping SMU 23-14 in the Fenway Bowl, the program's first bowl victory since 2016.

O'Brien hasn't been surprised with the level of talent in the Eagles' locker room, and he believes the team is in good position to record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2017-18.

"These guys, like I said earlier, they show up on time, they buy into what we're trying to get done relative to offense, defense and special teams," O'Brien said. "I really like the staff. I've enjoyed working with the people at Boston College. ... There's nothing that really surprised me. It's been a job that I love to come to work to every single day."

--Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos is a firm believer that he will contend for the Heisman Trophy. Last season was his first at Boston College after one year at UCF, and he threw for 2,248 yards, rushed for 1,113 and totaled 28 touchdowns (15 passing, 13 rushing).

No other player in Eagles history has thrown for 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000, and only five (including Castellanos) have accomplished the feat in the ACC since 1996.

"Last year kind of was thrown in the fire as a young guy. It was kind of a blur. I was out there just playing ball," Castellanos said. " ... This year, I'll be more mature, the game will be more slower. I think I'll do more things."

--Castellanos is hoping that O'Brien can help him limit his turnovers, though. The rising junior had 14 interceptions in 2023.

"What we've been doing this offseason, it's been really great," Castellanos said. "It will be great, but you definitely will see a change of protecting the ball, throwing the ball away, sliding, getting out of bounds, stuff of that nature."

--Drew Kendall, a native of Norwell, Mass., will be anchoring Boston College's offensive line while also trying to follow in his father's footsteps.

Pete Kendall, a former Eagle himself, went on to have a 13-year NFL career after being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round (21st overall) of the 1996 draft. He played in 189 games throughout his career, making 188 starts.

"I was really excited about BC football growing up. I grew up going to games," said Drew Kendall, a redshirt junior. "It was really special when I first got that offer, visualizing wearing that 66 at Boston College with 'Kendall' on the back. It's really special. I enjoy it every day. It's special for me and my dad."

--Boston College senior defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku believes the Eagles have the potential to reach new heights under O'Brien, who has already changed the culture within the program during his first five months in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

"I would say it added a new spark to this team, a new hunger. Like I said, guys decided to stay instead of leaving," Ezeiruaku said. "That just goes to show that guys are believing in what we have here, wanting to buy into what coach Bill O'Brien has brought to the team, has brought to the new program, the new mentality, the new culture."

The first two newcomers in the Big Ten's Western expansion, which also includes Oregon and Washington with their Pac-12 exits announced in August 2023, add the nation's second-largest media market and brand recognition to the conference.

The promise of high-profile matchups fueled the move to expand the Big Ten from coast to coast, a topic that first-year UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster touched on at Wednesday's edition of Big Ten media days in Indianapolis.

"That's why we're excited for the Big Ten, just getting opportunities to play in a lot of stadiums that you usually wouldn't get an opportunity to," he said when asked about the Bruins traveling to Penn State's Beaver Stadium for the first meeting of the two programs since 1968.

Initial intrigue is undeniable as fresh as the pairings will be. But the ability of UCLA and USC to compete with, and not merely play against the upper echelon of the Big Ten, is a hot topic upon their introduction to the league.

The Bruins and Trojans left the Pac-12 with 54 combined conference football championships -- but just one in the College Football Playoff era. USC's 2017 Pac-12 title was its first since 2008 and the program's last of 37 claimed since 1927. UCLA joins its new conference on a quarter-century league-championship drought, last leading the Pac in 1998.

They will now contend with such programs as Penn State, which has finished ranked in the top 12 six times since 2016 -- and never qualified for the Playoff as a result of other Big Ten members' dominance. The four-team Playoff era opened and closed with Big Ten heavyweights Ohio State and Michigan claiming national championships, an accomplishment that eluded the Pac-12 as a whole every season after USC won its last in 2004.

The Trojans went 11-1 in the 2022 regular season, their first under head coach Lincoln Riley. Losses to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Tulane in the Cotton Bowl Classic, however, set the tone for a disappointing 2023. USC lost its last three games of the regular season to head to the Holiday Bowl unranked, and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams exited without a team title.

USC's sour end to 2022 and middling final season in the Pac-12 generated plenty of buzz around college football media, which Riley addressed in Indianapolis.

"That's part of being at USC," Riley said. "It's part of being a blue-blood program. ... It's always going to be talked about, and you either want to be in programs like that or you don't."

--USC opens its inaugural Big Ten slate with one of the conference's most marquee matchups, as the Trojans travel to Ann Arbor to face reigning national champion Michigan. The Sept. 21 clash marks the first meeting between the two at the venerable Big House since a 20-19 Wolverines win in 1958.

-- UCLA beings Big Ten play on Sept. 14 when it hosts Indiana at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in an unintentional reminder that the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington also have noteworthy impacts on other sports. The Bruins and Hoosiers claim the most and tied-for-fifth-most national championships in men's basketball, respectively.

-- Neither of the Los Angeles programs face Ohio State in their first year of Big Ten competition, denying UCLA a reunion with former head coach Chip Kelly. Kelly left the Bruins after going 35-34 in six seasons from 2018 through 2023, taking the offensive coordinator's post with the Buckeyes.

His departure for Ohio State reunites Kelly with Ryan Day, a former University of New Hampshire quarterback whom Kelly coached at the turn of the millennium.

"I trust Chip with my life," Day said. "And that's a big part of any time you are handing something over like that, that you have done almost your entire career."

While Kelly will not see his former UCLA team, he will return to Autzen Stadium and the University of Oregon on Oct. 12 in a matchup of teams with Playoff designs. Kelly left New Hampshire in 2007 to become the Ducks' offensive coordinator, then took over for Mike Bellotti as head coach in 2009. Kelly went 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon, helping the program ascend to the national stage -- and in the process, perhaps paving the way for its eventual addition to the Big Ten.

The Gators' third-year coach is being offered at +400 by SportsBetting.ag to be the first NCAA football coach fired this season. Napier, who is 11-14 in two seasons in Gainesville, failed to lead the Gators to a bowl game for the first time since 2017.

Napier leads a list of 18 names being offered by the sportsbook. The second shortest odds belong to Sam Pittman (+500), who is 23-25 through his first four seasons at Arkansas. Looking deeper, the Razorbacks are 11-14 over the past two years -- identical to Napier.

Next on the list is Miami's Mario Cristobal at +600. Those odds could shift significantly with Miami and Florida kicking off their seasons against each other in Gainesville on Aug. 31.

Cristobal, who is coming off signing a third consecutive strong recruiting class, is 12-13 entering the fourth year of the 10-year contract he signed to leave Oregon in 2022.

FIRST NCAA FOOTBALL COACH FIRED*

Billy Napier, Florida (4/1)

Sam Pittman, Arkansas (5/1)

Mario Cristobal, Miami (6/1)

Dave Aranda, Baylor (7/1)

Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (8/1)

Kalani Sitake, BYU (10/1)

Justin Wilcox, California (12/1)

Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh (12/1)

Ryan Day, Ohio State (12/1)

Neal Brown, West Virginia (14/1)

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati (14/1)

Mike Locksley, Maryland (16/1)

Shane Beamer, South Carolina (16/1)

Tony Elliott, Virginia (16/1)

Dabo Swinney, Clemson (25/1)

Lincoln Riley, USC (25/1)

Brent Venables, Oklahoma (33/1)

Deion Sanders, Colorado (50/1)

*Odds by SportsBetting.ag provided for entertainment purposes only.

Following the first three names on the list is Baylor's Dave Aranda at +700 and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea at +800.

Aranda is 23-25 in four seasons at the helm of the Bears. Since winning the Big 12 in 2021, Baylor has only nine combined victories, including going 3-9 and closing with five consecutive losses last season.

Lea is 9-27 in three seasons leading the Commodores, including a 2-22 record against SEC opponents.

Perhaps the most intriguing name on the list is Ohio State's Ryan Day. Despite a 56-8 record with the Buckeyes, he enters this season facing a significant amount of pressure with Ohio State riding a three-game losing streak against bitter rival Michigan.

The Michigan transfer opens fall camp next week as the expected starter in Iowa's new offense, and head coach Kirk Ferentz expects him to prove a lot of naysayers wrong about his ability to serve as a No. 1 quarterback in the Big Ten.

"We played against him right here on this field a couple of years ago in December and got to see him that entire season on film, so we had great respect and admiration for him as a player, a competitor," Ferentz said in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, referencing Iowa's loss to Michigan in the 2022 Big Ten championship game.

"Unfortunately for our fan base and the media, none of you guys have seen him play full speed thus far in an Iowa uniform. So I'm eager to see him perform for us this year. Nobody's more eager than he is, and hopefully he's not too eager."

McNamara gives the Hawkeyes a "chance to be a good offense" in part because of the Iowa offensive line, Ferentz opined.

"This is my 35th year coming up, going back to the '80s. I think one common theme, when we play well up front and we've got good quarterback play, we've got a chance to become a good offense. That's kind of been a common denominator," Ferentz said. "We haven't had that opportunity the last couple of years, but I think we're finally in a position where maybe that is realistic. We're certainly hopeful. We'll know more here in a couple of weeks."

Iowa hired Tim Lester as offensive coordinator, the position Ferentz's son, Brian, previously held. Lester was head coach at Western Michigan from 2017 to 2022 and was an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers last season.

Iowa's offense was historically bad the past two seasons. The Hawkeyes finished last in total offense in 2022 and in McNamara's first season -- albeit an injury-shortened one -- Iowa was next-to-last.

Any turnaround starts with Lester and his starting quarterback, the position he played before entering coaching.

"He did play the position. He's coached it for a long time," Ferentz said. "So he does have a level of expertise with the quarterback spot -- I'm not saying he's right or wrong with his opinions, but I'm just saying he's firm on what he believes and he's been pretty successful. The players have really jumped in full bore with him, and that's what you hope to see with any coach."

Army was introduced at American Athletic Conference media days for the first time Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, where coach Jeff Monken explained that the realities of scheduling and recruiting led the program to leave behind its independent label to keep up with the rest of college football.

"Scheduling has become a real challenge and a lot of that is driven because of the changes in college football, the realignments of the major conferences, and as those teams are changing conferences, their schedules have to change and there's a huge trickle-down effect," Monken said.

"Whether it's those teams that are sending us a letter saying we need to get out of this game because we're changing conferences, or other teams that say we had a schedule change because of another opponent, we have to cancel our game or change our game. It just became very challenging to put a schedule together."

Despite their scheduling challenges, the Black Knights have finished below .500 just once in the past eight seasons against good schedules. But outside of the Armed Forces Bowl, Army has been invited to just two bowl games since 1997 and won just one, the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl, in a 38-31 overtime victory over North Texas.

By joining a conference for the first time since a 1998-2004 stint in Conference USA, Army opens up the possibility -- however faint -- that it can make the College Football Playoff. Starting this year, the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion will receive an automatic bid to the 12-team playoff field.

"I think it's important that if we're going to compete at the FBS level, that there is a pathway to the playoff," Monken said. "I'm not delusional ... It will be tremendously challenging for us to win a game in this league, but to not be able to say we've got a pathway, particularly in recruiting, it just felt like we needed to be in the position to do that."

Army received one vote to win the conference in the AAC media poll published Tuesday. Memphis was voted as the favorite, while Army came in fifth of 14 teams.

On Tuesday, the Golden Bears and Cardinal football programs received formal introductions to their cross-country conference mates during ACC media days in Charlotte, N.C.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox was asked about his team's "wild" schedule, in which the Golden Bears will travel to Auburn in Week 2 before flying 2,200-plus miles to Tallahassee just two weeks later to take on Florida State in ACC play.

"If you would have asked me two or three years ago, I probably wouldn't have thought that," said Wilcox, entering his eighth season at the helm.

Wilcox's statement could be classified as the biggest understatement of college football's media-day season. But it also underscores the dramatic changes to the sport in less than 12 months -- changes that may well be still ongoing.

"We're just excited and really grateful to be in this conference, to play against great teams," said Taylor, entering his second year leading the Cardinal. "... To be in the ACC, to be here with y'all, it's an important part of who we are."

Stanford, one of the nation's premier programs in the 2010s, embarks on 2024 looking to snap out of a recent funk that produced three straight 3-9 finishes. Cal, meanwhile, jumps into the ACC fray boasting one of the top offensive weapons in the nation with running back Jaydn Ott.

Ott followed an 897-yard, eight-touchdown freshman season with 1,315 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, and another two scores via receptions in 2023. He enters the 2024 campaign 15 rushing touchdowns shy of tying Russell White for the program's career record, and he's only 1,156 yards away from passing White's career yardage mark of 3,367.

"That's an awesome feeling," Ott said of continuing his pursuit of history in the ACC. "Being able to play some new competition, the ACC has a lot of rich history. These are some teams that I watched growing up. I also have some buddies and family (in the conference's regional footprint). My cousin D.J. (Uiagalelei), he's playing at Florida State. We'll see him again this year."

"There isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't spend some time on the legal cases," Phillips said on Monday. "We have proven that you have to move forward even with these types of distractions and really important issues that are part of your daily lives."

--Florida State heads into the new season trying to move on from being famously snubbed from the 2023 College Football Playoff in the wake of a late-season injury to quarterback Jordan Travis.

Alabama received the fourth and final playoff berth ahead of the unbeaten ACC champion Seminoles, who were promptly blown out by Georgia 63-3 in the Orange Bowl after many Florida State players opted out of the game.

"I tell people all the time, if we'd have lost the (ACC) championship game, I think a majority of those guys would've played," coach Mike Norvell told ESPN. "It was a tough situation to have to go through."

It's a snub Seminoles players won't soon forget, but Travis and others have graduated or moved on to the NFL, and the 2024 roster is setting out to write history of their own.

"All that (playoff) stuff is over with now and we have a whole new team to worry about," offensive lineman Darius Washington told ESPN. "What happened last year hurt us, but if we keep whining about it now, it ain't going to (help us)."

But in Columbus, Ohio, the heat has been on Ohio State head coach Ryan Day since 2021.

Losing three straight rivalry games to Michigan will leave a fan base ticked at the coach who's being paid millions not to lose those games.

With Chip Kelly running the Buckeyes' offense in 2024, Day might just beat Michigan and give new athletic director Ross Bjork a few million reasons not to look for a new coach. Kelly as offensive coordinator seems about as overqualified for a job as a college professor might be to instruct middle schoolers on, say, history.

However, overkill might be the thing Ohio State needs to take the next step under Day. In a culture and a program that grades solely on whether you win it all, Day is 0-for-5.

That's where Kelly comes in.

You can debate just how good a coach Kelly was with UCLA and at two stops in the NFL. And if you wanted to fall on the side of "not worth the paycheck," you'd probably be right.

But it can't be debated that Kelly was brilliant at Oregon and that he should be able to take the Buckeyes' offense from 0 to 60 quicker than their fans were melting down on social media during three consecutive losses to the hated rivals from the north.

"He's one of the best play-callers in the history of college football," Day said of Kelly on Tuesday at the first of three Big Ten Conference media days in Indianapolis. "It allows me a little more peace of mind ... there's a lot of trust here. I trust him with my life."

Not that it takes much to create great expectations for a program with a national fan base and fanatical followers. But pairing Kelly's brilliant offensive mind with some of the most talented players in the sport equals even more outsized hopes.

"He would tell you he's very excited with what he has," Day said. "My job as the head coach is to make sure it fits complementary football across the board."

Also heard from Big Ten coaches on Tuesday:

--Illinois coach Bret Bielema led off the session by saying there isn't a more exciting time in his life to be the school's head coach.

That might catch some by surprise, given that the Fighting Illini are ranked 13th in the preseason after regressing from a good 2022.

--Rutgers' Greg Schiano said it's "time to get going. It's time to make a mark."

The Scarlet Knights are picked ninth and Schiano feels good about his squad, comparing it to his good teams from his first run in the mid-2000s that had a spate of future NFL players.

--Wisconsin's Luke Fickell is high on Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, saying that he has "done a phenomenal job and that I expect him to grow in his leadership role." If Van Dyke plays to his capability, the Badgers could outperform their predicted seventh-place finish.

--Northwestern's David Braun said the challenge this year is to duplicate last year's success, when the Wildcats went from 1-11 to a surprising 8-5 mark.

"Can we find the same level of leadership within our team?" he asked.

--Purdue's Ryan Walters said he's more comfortable in his second season on the job. Walters has 37 new players on the roster, which isn't expected to do much.

The Boilermakers are picked for 18th and last place in the league.

Petitti said at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on Tuesday that he remains "focused on the 18 for now," echoing the sentiment shared by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey about his conference earlier this month.

"I think we're really comfortable with where we are. We've got to get this conference right, and that's where our focus is," Petitti said.

Four teams are making their Big Ten debut this season following a mass exodus from the Pac-12 that began with USC and UCLA and multiplied to include Oregon and Washington.

Because the integration of West Coast teams complicated scheduling across sports, Petitti said he's not focused on any other prospective members, including any programs that might have interest in jumping from the Atlantic Coast Conference and taking the Big Ten to the Big Twenty.

A key point from an educational and health perspective for the Big Ten was finding ways to restrict travel, particularly back-to-back road games. The conference focused on blocking cross-country travel in consecutive weeks in its first year of scheduling matchups such as Maryland and at Oregon (Nov. 9), which is about 2,820 miles by car or a long flight.

"I really believe scheduling is something that has to be constantly evaluated by sport," Petitti said. "And I anticipate that we'll get a lot more right in these next couple of years, the way we've formatted and scheduled. But it's our job to listen to student-athletes, to listen to coaches, to make sure that we're adjusting and making the change we need."

Not every team can avoid the long travel legs, and the disparity between the most miles to travel this college football season and least is vast in the Big Ten.

UCLA's schedule results in more miles of travel -- 22,000 -- than any other Big Ten football team. The four West Coast teams each will travel more than 12,500 miles.

Indiana will host UCLA and travel a league-low 4,900 miles this season. Purdue is 17th in planned travel miles at about 5,100 and Michigan is at 5,200.

An episode of the Netflix documentary series "Untold," set to premier on Aug. 27, will focus on Stalions' account.

Both the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference ruled last year that Michigan illegally did in-person scouting of future opponents and potential future foes. Stalions was believed to be the point man of the operation, having purchased tickets to games involving teams the Wolverines were due to play and then having been spotted in those venues.

Stalions resigned from his job on the Michigan football staff during the 2023 season, which ended with the Wolverines going undefeated and winning the national championship. Then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh denied all knowledge of illegal scouting, but he still received a three-game suspension from the Big Ten to end the 2023 regular season.

Micah Brown, a one-time Kansas football player who has directed documentaries for ESPN and Peacock, is heading the Stalions episode.

Netflix also announced the subject of two other upcoming episodes of Untold. A look at the murder of former star quarterback Steve McNair will air beginning Aug. 20, and an examination of former star goalie Hope Solo's feud with U.S. Soccer, will be available starting on Sept. 3.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips pledged the day-to-day operations remain business as usual while also insisting the league will aggressively fight the lawsuits from the two schools over withdrawal penalties and the grant of media rights deal that runs through 2036.

The ACC previously filed its own countersuit against the schools.

"I can state that we will fight to protect the ACC and our members for as long as it takes," Phillips said at the ACC Kickoff on Monday in Charlotte, N.C. "We are confident in this league and that it will remain a premier conference in college athletics for the long-term future. These disputes continue to be extremely damaging, disruptive and incredibly harmful to the league."

Florida State filed its suit in December and Clemson followed with its own in March.

The Seminoles alleged "years of mismanagement" by the ACC and also challenged the league's "draconian" withdrawal penalties. Clemson had similar grudges against the withdrawal process and the grant of media rights.

Phillips was quick to remind the assembled media on Monday that both Clemson and Florida State signed the rights' agreement in both 2013 and 2016.

"Quite frankly, (the schools) eagerly agreed to our current television contract and the launch of the ACC Network," Phillips said. "The ACC, our collective membership and conference office deserves better."

While saying it doesn't have to be an "evil" situation, Phillips made it clear that the overall plight of the conference matters more than any individual institutions.

"Forceful moments deserve forceful support and leadership," Phillips said. "I don't know that I've changed at all, other than I stand by everything I've said. ... Either you believe in what's been signed or you don't. We're going to do everything we can to protect the league.

"This has been a league that started way before me -- 71 years ago -- and will be a league around a long time after I depart."

The ACC will feature 17 programs this football season after Cal and Stanford joined from the Pac-12 and SMU moved from the American Athletic Conference.

"I'm pretty hardwired to think (Atlantic Coast Conference) at this point," Stone said with a smile on Monday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte.

Stone and coach Rhett Lashlee lead the Mustangs back into the power-conference ranks of college football in 2024. SMU joins Cal and Stanford as the ACC's three new member schools.

The program's recent football tradition may be lacking, but SMU played against the likes of Texas, Texas A&M and Arkansas in the Southwest Conference until the league's dissolution in 1996.

"We were on this stage many years in the Southwest Conference, won over 11 conference championships, three national titles, had a rich history and tradition," Lashlee said Monday. "To have had that and lost it, now to have it back. I don't think there's any question our school, and we believe our program right in the heart of Dallas belongs on the national stage. We're humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be back."

The Mustangs haven't won a bowl game since 2012, but they're coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them run the table in the American and win the conference championship game. It was the program's winningest season since the 1982 national championship campaign.

The chaos of the recent round of conference realignment aside, Lashlee emphasized that he believes SMU earned the opportunity to be back on this stage.

"We understand it's a different opportunity," Lashlee said. "We're moving up in weight class. To play 10 straight power games, we haven't done that in almost 30 years at our program. There's going to be some changes there."

One of those changes included beefing up to prepare for the jump in talent. By Lashlee's count, 13 of SMU's 20 incoming transfers play on either the offensive or defensive line.

Lashlee pointed out that SMU's first two ACC games come against Florida State and Louisville -- the two schools that played in last year's conference championship game.

"I feel confident we have a team that's going to compete," Lashlee said. "What does that look like? I don't know. We're excited to get out and see where we stand."

Stone threw for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in his redshirt sophomore season in 2023. A Dallas native, he often attended SMU games as a child.

"I remember when Baylor came into town and Courtland Sutton was going crazy," Stone said. "I remember when Johnny Manziel tore us up back in 2012.

"Now we have a chance to play big-boy football in the ACC. I feel incredibly lucky to be this school's quarterback. That's not something I take lightly."

In 2023, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won the award -- then was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Commanders -- with 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 10 TDs on 135 carries for 1,134 yards.

In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, there's been a lot of movement among top college football programs and players, leading to some intriguing opportunities for wagering on Heisman Trophy futures.

Below, we look at the current Heisman Trophy odds and discuss some notable changes, values and risks.

Top Heisman Trophy Odds

Favorites, based on DraftKings odds, for the 2024 Heisman Trophy:

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+750)

Carson Beck, Georgia (+800)

Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1000)

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (+1400)

Will Howard, Ohio State (+1500)

Jalen Milroe, Alabama (+1500)

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (+1800)

Cam Ward, Miami (+2200)

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+2200)

Avery Johnson, Kansas State (+2500)

--Notable college football changes heading into 2024

Gabriel transferred from Oklahoma to Oregon.

Ewers lost several key weapons to the NFL, including Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Jonathon Brooks.

Howard transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State.

Milroe and the rest of Alabama are without head coach Nick Saban following his retirement. Former Washington Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer has taken over.

Ward transferred to Miami from Washington State.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is +3500 to win the Heisman.

Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC.

Stanford, Cal and SMU joined the ACC.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12.

Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington joined the Big Ten.

--Heisman 2024: The Top Value

Looking over the list of Heisman candidates and their odds, the value that stands out most: Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita at +4000.

Last year, across 12 games as a redshirt freshman, Fifita completed 241 of 333 passes (72.4 percent) for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions. We didn't see a lot of rushing ability, but with the athleticism he possesses to move in the pocket to fend off defenders, we could see more runs from him this season.

Arizona made a coaching change and switched conferences -- Pac-12 to the Big 12. If Fifita can rack up some rushing stats and continue to show his accuracy as he did last season in an improved conference, he's on my Heisman radar.

--Heisman Trophy 2024 Betting: Biggest Risk

At +1500, Howard is the biggest risk atop the Heisman odds board.

A fifth-year player, Howard will be playing for Ohio State, which helps any resume, but he's stood out in college football mostly because of his rushing ability.

He has a lifetime 58.8 completion percentage quarterback with 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He scored nine rushing TDs last season.

He'll have improved wide receivers, like Emeka Egbuka, but the running back duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will limit his potential as a runner.

His inefficiency as a passer and lack of rush attempts limit his ceiling.

Per the warrant, Toviano is accused of filming himself having sex with a woman without her consent to be recorded. The woman told police Toviano had recorded them having sex in the past without her consent and she made it clear to him she did not want to be recorded.

The woman said a clock with a built-in camera near the bed recorded videos that she later found on Toviano's iPad. Toviano admitted in an interview with detectives that he had used the hidden camera for this purpose.

LSU suspended Toviano from all team activities, according to a statement. LSU's preseason camp begins Aug. 1.

Toviano was a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2023 and played in 13 games as a freshman, finishing with 33 tackles, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery.

He was fired after he uttered a homophobic slur during the broadcast of the Aug. 19, 2020, game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals. He didn't realize his microphone was live when he made the comment as part of the Reds broadcast crew. Dismissed from the Reds job, he also was fired by Fox Sports, for whom he called MLB, NFL and college football games.

"There are no words to describe how grateful I am that they're rolling the dice," Brennaman, 60, told The Athletic. "They don't have to do this."

He told The Athletic that he contacted Nexstar Media Group about potential work, not expecting to hear back. But Nexstar, the parent company of The CW, reached out.

The network is expanding its sports coverage, adding events such as college football and basketball, as well as LIV Golf and the long-running show "Inside the NFL."

Brennaman has been making amends with the gay community in Cincinnati and across the nation, listening and learning.

Cyd Zeigler, the co-founder of Outsports, said he believes Brennaman deserved a second chance. Outsports focuses on LGBTQ+ issues in sports.

"I pumped my fist in the air and said, ‘Finally!'" Zeigler told The Athletic about his reaction to Brennaman's hiring. "Somebody gave this guy a chance that he deserved. I'm so proud of The CW."

The CW looked into Brennaman and asked respected professionals about him, including Bob Costas.

"Neither Thom nor anyone else denies that he had a serious misstep," Costas told The Athletic. "A misstep for which some consequence would have been appropriate. But the price he has paid is beyond disproportionate. Especially when you consider that he had a fine reputation prior to the incident, and took every proper step to make amends subsequent to it. His return to the booth is overdue and I am sure the audience will be happy to hear his voice again."

Dennis Miller, president of The CW, said he was satisfied by when he team heard.

"It became clear that he has taken full responsibility for his actions," Miller said.

Brennaman will debut on the network on Aug. 31, providing the play-by-play for the Oregon State vs. Idaho State game. After that, he predominantly will be heard on coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Per the Cache County Sheriff's Office, a search began Saturday afternoon at Porcupine Reservoir after Seldon was seen diving from cliffs and did not resurface.

Utah State officials said they learned he was found at 9:05 p.m. MT by the Utah Department of Public Safety dive team.

Seldon transferred to Utah State earlier this year after totaling 96 tackles and two interceptions over two seasons at New Mexico State. He played there under Nate Dreiling, Utah State's interim head coach and defensive coordinator.

"Our football program is heartbroken to have to endure the loss of one of our own," Dreiling said in a statement released by the school. "Having had a previous relationship with Andre during our time together at New Mexico State, I can tell you he was an incredible person and teammate. Our condolences and prayers go out to Andre's family as we grieve with them over this tremendous loss."

Seldon spent two seasons at Michigan prior to playing for New Mexico State.

Meadows marks the Tigers' second five-star pledge in four days after cornerback DJ Pickett committed to head coach Brian Kelly's program on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5, 200 Meadows chose LSU over Notre Dame - considered the favorite for months - and Georgia, Alabama and Michigan.

Meadows visited all five schools, but he said his experience with the Tigers stood out from the rest.

"The coaches all treat everyone like family. I know I want to be in that environment," Meadows told 247Sports.

"Playing in the SEC will mean a lot and I know that I'm going to keep grinding to compete against the best."

The 247Sports composite ranks Meadows as the No. 10 receiver in the nation and the No. 68 overall prospect.

Meadows caught 15 passes for 391 yards and eight touchdowns during his sophomore season in 2023 to help Bishop Gorman High School win the Nevada 5A state title.

A two-sport athlete, Meadows was also named Nevada's Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year in 2023. He excelled in the 300 meters and 110m hurdles and ran on a gold medal-winning 4x400 relay team.

LSU now has three five star commits from the Class of 2025. Meadows joins Pickett and quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation's top overall prospect.