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Spring game season trucks along Saturday as more than two dozen teams are in action, including 18 scheduled to air on television. Two participants in last season’s College Football Playoff lead the list as Texas and Michigan hope to build on strong years. The Wolverines head into a reloading cycle, while the Longhorns hope to take the next step.

Texas’ chief rivals also have spring games with Oklahoma and Texas A&M debuting new-look rosters. Elsewhere, Notre Dame prepares for its moment in the sun and Florida State breaks in some new pieces. Michigan State and USC also hope to show improvement, while Stanford and California rank among the new ACC schools readying for primetime.

It’s worth noting that there are a few storms expected across the country. Texas Tech opted to cancel its spring game in Midland, Texas, and others in the state will be on storm watch. Still, there are plenty of big time games to keep an eye on, so here are a few of the key storylines to watch during spring games Saturday.

Michigan: A new era begins
The Wolverines captured their first national championship since 1997 last season, but repeating won’t come easy. Michigan boasts first-year coach Sherrone Moore, an open quarterback battle and countless new starters on both sides of the ball after a historic class departed for the NFL.

Of course, Moore got some on-the-job learning experience after leading the program for four games while Jim Harbaugh served various suspensions last season. For that reason, Michigan remains in good hands. However, the spring game will give a first look at whether the Wolverines are ready to hit the ground running in Year 1 or if Moore will preach patience as the program works through growing pains.

Notre Dame: Revamping the offense
The most significant storyline in the Fighting Irish spring game involves who is not on the field as transfer quarterback Riley Leonard will miss the spring after surgery. Still, the Fighting Irish made some power moves to try and ready the offense for his arrival, and they’ll be on full display for the spring game.

The biggest headline is the Fighting Irish poaching offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock from LSU after he coached Jayden Daniels to a Heisman Trophy last season. Notre Dame also added three top wide receiver transfers to join breakout star Jaden Greathouse. There should also be a strong battle at running back with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in contention to replace Audric Estime. If things look fluid in the spring against a strong Notre Dame defense, it could be set up for a playoff run when Leonard returns.

Oklahoma: Trenches in transition
The Sooners face a changing of the guard at the worst time. All five starters from the 2023 season are gone after guard Cayden Green surprisingly defected to Missouri as Oklahoma prepares to enter the rough-and-tumble SEC with a first-year starting quarterback. To make matters worse, projected starting center Troy Everett is expected to miss the entire offseason with an injury, providing a challenge for the unit to build chemistry.

Granted, spring games aren’t always the best time to evaluate trench play as coaching staffs run vanilla schemes and tinker with different units. Still, the season will come down to whether the Sooners can protect first-year starting quarterback Jackson Arnold. In his lone Alamo Bowl start, 12 pressures and two sacks led to three interceptions. If the offensive line isn’t ready to help Arnold, nothing else really matters.

Texas: Replacing key receivers
The Longhorns have recruited the wide receiver position better than anyone this side of Columbus, Ohio, over the past two years, but Texas has holes to fill heading into a pivotal season. Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell both projected as top picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, while Jordan Whittington’s eligibility expired. Even tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders declared for the draft, leaving the Longhorns without their top five pass-catchers from last season.

Instead of betting on development of players already on the roster, the Longhorns aggressively added receivers Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden via the transfer portal. Tight end Amari Niblack also joined the roster from Alabama. Still, young talents Johntay Cook, DeAndre Moore and Ryan Black will assuredly push for playing time. Which playmakers will emerge from the group?

USC: Are the defensive changes real?
Trojans coach Lincoln Riley finally grew sick of the criticisms of his soft defenses and made a few serious changes this offseason. Four new defensive assistants joined the fray, including UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, NFL assistant Eric Henderson, North Dakota State coach Matt Entz and up-and-coming assistant Doug Belk. The Trojans also landed seven defenders in the portal, three of whom earned four-star transfer ratings from 247Sports.

While the changes portend a renewed focus on defense at USC, Saturday marks a first look at the defensive shift. The program will not only attempt to prove a schematic change but also an emphasis on toughness and tackling. Especially with a less talented offense in 2024, the defense has to take a step forward.

Arizona State will receive four years of probation, scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions in connection with recruiting violations that occurred under former coach Herm Edwards, the NCAA Committee on Infractions announced Friday. Four former ASU staff members also received show-cause penalties ranging from 3-10 years.

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd previously reported that Edwards was among those in line to receive a show-cause. Edwards, 69, is no longer in coaching and returned to a TV analyst role in 2022.

Two of the former staffers are contesting “portions” of their cases, and the NCAA will not release its full decision until after those hearings. Among them is Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who is submitting a written statement to the NCAA regarding his role in the violations after he served as an ASU assistant from 2018-2021.

The penalties stem from allegations that prospects were brought in during the COVID-19 dead period. The NCAA’s announcement also noted “recruiting inducements, impermissible tryouts and tampering” as part of the violations case.

Arizona State’s self-imposed postseason ban for the 2023 season and a “vacation of records for contests in which ineligible student-athletes competed” were also cited by the NCAA as penalties in the case. The Sun Devils finished 3-9 in 2023 during coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season.

Edwards was fired three games into the 2022 season after a 1-2 start that included a 30-21 home loss to Eastern Michigan. In addition to the recruiting scandal, which led to a staff purging, ASU’s recruiting tapered off significantly during Edwards 4+ seasons on the job.

NCAA Committee on Infractions chief hearing officer Jason Leonard praised Arizona State for its “exemplary” cooperation in the case.

“The school’s acceptance of responsibility and decision to self-impose meaningful core penalties is a model for all schools to follow and is consistent with the expectations of the NCAA’s infractions program,” Leonard said.

The NCAA on Friday approved several rule changes that will take effect during the 2024 season, including the implementation of coach-to-player helmet communications and a new two-minute rule that mirrors the current time system utilized by the NFL. These changes were proposed by the NCAA’s Rules Committee in March amid support from some of the nation’s most prominent conferences.

The helmet communication rule applies only to schools at the FBS level, but it is not a requirement. Additionally, one team may employ helmet technology even if its opponent elect otherwise.

Coaches will be allowed to communicate with one player, identified by a green dot on the back of their helmet, on the field. That line of communication will be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.

On top of player-to-helmet communications, teams can now use tablets to review in-game video only. Schools will be allocated 18 tablets that can be utilized in the coaching booth, on the sideline and in locker rooms.

Other changes approved by the NCAA Friday include:

Penalizing horse collar tackles that occur within the tackle box as a 15-yard personal foul.
Allowing conferences the option to use a collaborative video replay review system.
Head coaches can now conduct interviews with broadcast partners after the first and third quarters conclude.
The NCAA used the 2023 postseason as a trial run for its technological changes with several teams utilizing helmet communications in their bowl games. Several schools have incorporated the technology in their spring games, as well, while teams acclimate to another wave of major change.

Last spring, the NCAA approved a running clock on first downs, except in the last two minutes in the second and fourth quarters. The new two-minute timeout rule falls in line with that change and also serves to alleviate potential back-to-back TV timeouts from broadcasters.

“The two-minute timeout will allow all end-of-half and end-of-game timing rules to be simplified and synch up with this timeout,” Steve Shaw, secretary-rules editor said March when the changes were initially proposed. “This will also help broadcast partners to avoid back-to-back media timeouts.”

Kirk Cousins spent the last six years leading the Minnesota Vikings. But if he has his way, he’ll finish his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. Weeks after signing a $180 million deal with the team, Cousins has compared the Falcons to the mid-2000s Miami Heat, telling former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal he envisions a “world championship” finish in Georgia.

“I want this to be my final stop,” he said on O’Neal’s “The Big” podcast. “I don’t wanna do the deal — no offense, but I don’t wanna go play for the Suns and Celtics at the end. I wanna finish with the Heat, if you will, and be done.”

The Heat notably won the NBA Finals while O’Neal starred alongside Dwyane Wade in 2006. O’Neal went on to finish his Hall of Fame basketball career with three other teams, however, after an unceremonious breakup with Heat brass. Cousins is now on his third NFL team after headline-grabbing contract negotiations with both Washington and the Vikings.

“My boys are 6 and 5,” Cousins continued. “They won’t remember that I played in Washington. They will barely remember I played in Minnesota. They’re gonna remember I played for the Falcons. And I want those to be good memories. So I feel like this is the stretch I wanna finish strong. People remember how you finish more than you start.”

The one thing missing from Cousins’ accomplished NFL resume, of course, is a deep playoff run. While he’s been one of the game’s steadiest signal-callers for the better part of a decade, the four-time Pro Bowler has just a single postseason victory to his name. He hopes to change that in Atlanta, where the Falcons could be primed to make an immediate run at an NFC South title.

The Philadelphia Eagles released cornerback Avonte Maddox in early March, but had an eye on bringing him back into the fold. Maddox had a $9.6 million salary cap hit in 2024, leading to his release, but he is now reportedly back. Thursday, the Eagles agreed to terms on a new one-year deal with Maddox, per ESPN.

Maddox played just four games last season due to a torn pectoral, recording 12 tackles, two passes defended and a forced fumble. He did return for the Eagles’ Super Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and recorded seven tackles.

Maddox has only played for the Eagles during his NFL career, having been selected by Philly in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. In 64 games played, he’s recorded 250 combined tackles, 31 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and four interceptions.

The Eagles were expected to reshape the secondary under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Philly suffered through numerous injuries on defense in 2023, including Maddox, and had the second-worst scoring defense (30.6 points per game) and total defense (396.7 total yards per game) while Philly lost six out of its last seven to close out the season. The Eagles allowed points on 54% of drives in the final seven games, which was the worst mark in the NFL. Overall, the Eagles had the second-worst pass defense in 2023, with 252.7 passing yards allowed per contest.

This offseason, the Eagles have brought in pass rusher Bryce Huff, a few linebackers in Devin White, Zack Baun and Oren Burks, and returned safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on defense.

Holy smokes, Batman! Did we have a knock-your-socks-off trade yesterday, or what? With Stefon Diggs in Houston, and the Bills having moved on from their top-two targeted receivers from last season, the blockbuster deal had a seismic impact on the 2024 NFL Draft.

With Diggs, Joe Mixon and Danielle Hunter, the Texans have loaded up this offseason after they won a playoff game a few months ago and have the reigning Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year. Houston is going to be a problem. I wonder which directions the Texans decide to go in with their nine selections in this draft.

As for the Bills — the #WRtrain is now of the bullet variety and nearly at maximum capacity with Bills Mafia members. It’ll be a stunner if Buffalo doesn’t draft a receiver in the first round, and the team has 10 total picks to attempt to retool a roster that’ll have plenty of new faces in 2024 for Josh Allen’s age-28 season.

If you’re new here, I got you covered. We’re rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April. I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way. Honored.

Before I begin, this paragraph will be your daily reminder to tell all your buddies and that one uncle who’s always texting you the importance of drafting mid-round offensive linemen to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. All you have to do is click here and then share this link with them.

1. Today’s NFL mock draft 🔮: AFC contenders stock up at WR
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   Josh Edwards steps to the plate today with his mock draft, and it’s a dandy. Receivers galore.
2. Chicago Bears — Caleb Williams, QB, USC
3. Washington Commanders — Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
4. New England Patriots — Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
5. Arizona Cardinals — Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
6. New York Jets — Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
7. Green Bay Packers — Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
8. Los Angeles Chargers (via mock trade with Vikings) — Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
9. Pittsburgh Steelers — Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

We’ve been saying for a while the draft starts with the No. 4 overall pick, but I think there’s a case to be made that it really begins at selection No. 2. Everyone feels like the Commanders will select Jayden Daniels, but no one is sure. What Washington’s new regime decides to do at quarterback will set off a ripple effect with the quarterback market in this class.

As I highlighted above, we must remember it’s not just the wideouts — the offensive tackle class is tremendous, too.

Oh, and you’re going to have to click the link to see which receiver Josh sent to Buffalo after the Diggs trade.

2. Packers seven-round mock draft 🔥
   A young, upstart Green Bay team was excruciatingly close to advancing to the NFC title game a season ago, and now GM Brian Gutekunst has four picks in the top 91, and 10 overall, in this 2024 draft to continue to infuse the Packers roster with youthful talent.

We couldn’t nail down a time for Mr. Gutekunst to write a mock draft for us, but staffer Garrett Podell did one heck of a job with this Packers haul, which included reliable playmaker Cooper Dejean in Round 1 and high-upside blocker Kingsley Suamataia in the second. No Aaron Jones? No problem. Garrett sent Florida State stud running back Trey Benson to the Packers at No. 88 overall. Awesome value there to fill a clear-cut need.

Because I’m not featuring a specific ‘With the First Pick’ episode today, here’s a convenient link to the podcast’s archive for your perusal. Our resident GM Rick Spielman and host/analyst Ryan Wilson will be pumping out episodes all month leading into the draft.

3. Prospect of the day 📈: Michael Hall, DT, Ohio State
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   This defensive tackle class has some household names at the top, likely first-round picks — Texas’ Byron Murphy and Illinois’ Johnny Newton, plus no one will be shocked if Florida State’s elite tester Braden Fiske sneaks in the first 32 selections. Hall is one of the headliners of the “second wave” at the interior defensive line position, ironically alongside bitter rival Kris Jenkins from Michigan.

While not a tremendously twitchy athlete, Hall has tentacles for arms and has an advanced pass-rush move arsenal. He plays with stellar low-center-of-gravity power and hustles on every single play. I will not be stunned if he’s ultimately the finest defensive tackle from this class. I mean that.

Notable pro day results: 4.75 in the 40-yard dash, 33-inch vertical, 9-foot-3 broad
Combine measurements: 6-foot-2 and 6/8″, 290 pounds
Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 56 overall (No. 5 DT)

4. ‘Trust the tape’ prospects 👀
   Second straight day with me featuring one of my own articles. When I’m writing this newsletter, I’m often forced to be a shameless self-promoter, I can’t lie. This is Part I of one of my favorite pre-draft pieces each year. Essentially, these are the prospects I still really like despite average-to-well-below-average combine or pro day workouts. In 2023, the Trust The Tape Team featured hits like Packers pesky defensive lineman Karl Brooks, Lions stud safety Brian Branch and Packers receiver Jayden Reed.

This year, the team goes six deep. For a mini-spoiler, I’ll tell you South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler made the team. His film is too damn good. And I’ll reveal the Trust The Traits members next week.

5. News and notes 📝
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   Bills GM speaks on Buffalo’s future. Brandon Beane held a press conference in the aftermath of the Diggs trade and wanted to be clear about his intentions with the 2024 iteration of the Bills saying, “we’re going to trot out a damn good team come September.”
   Josh Allen was made aware of possible trade. Beane also stated that while he hasn’t spoken to Allen after the trade, he did mention there was a possibility of moving the star receiver this offseason to Buffalo’s franchise quarterback.
   Vernon Davis has theory on his brother’s tragic death. The former NFL tight end and brother of Vontae Davis, who passed away Monday, believes the tragedy may have been an accident, but pointed out authorities have not made an official determination.

The Houston Texans have only existed for just over two decades, but in that time, they’ve already endured several high-profile rebuilds. In fact, in the last half-decade alone, the franchise has undergone several facelifts. How, then, did the Texans suddenly become one of the favorites to challenge the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs entering 2024?

Let’s revisit Houston’s abrupt rise from laughingstock to contender, which reinforces the notion that things can and do change quickly in the NFL:

DATE EVENT DETAILS
Dec. 31, 2017 General manager Rick Smith takes leave of absence Smith, who’d led the front office since 2006, left for family reasons. But reports indicated he also had a strained relationship with head coach Bill O’Brien, who was hired ahead of the 2014 season after working with the New England Patriots.
June 7, 2019 Brian Gaine fired as new GM Replacing the absent Smith, Gaine lasted just one season at his post. His exit unofficially cleared the way for O’Brien to become the Texans’ chief decision-maker.
Aug. 31, 2019 Laremy Tunsil acquired via trade In a major shakeup just before the season, O’Brien shipped Jadeveon Clowney, the club’s top pass rusher, to the Seattle Seahawks while separately adding Tunsil, a young left tackle, in a blockbuster deal involving two first-round draft picks.
Jan. 28, 2020

Bill O’Brien officially named GM

Houston advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2019, enjoying a breakout from young quarterback Deshaun Watson under O’Brien’s leadership at head coach. This move simply confirmed O’Brien as the man in charge.

March 16, 2020

DeAndre Hopkins traded to Cardinals

In a stunner, O’Brien dealt Hopkins, the star receiver who topped 1,100 yards in five of his previous six years, to Arizona for a package including injury-marred running back David Johnson. The deal was widely criticized.

Oct. 5, 2020

Bill O’Brien fired as coach and GM

Less than a year after officially claiming the GM title, O’Brien was dismissed following an 0-4 start to the 2020 season. He finished with a 52-48 overall record, and a much-maligned track record as a personnel chief.

Jan. 7, 2021 Nick Caserio hired as new GM Like O’Brien, Caserio arrived with New England Patriots roots, having spent the previous 20 years as an assistant coach and front-office man in Foxborough.
Jan. 28, 2021 Deshaun Watson requests trade Just one year after signing a four-year, $156 million contract extension, the star quarterback reportedly expressed discontent with the direction of the team.
Jan. 29, 2021

David Culley hired as new head coach

Caserio’s first hire was the 65-year-old Culley, a longtime Andy Reid assistant who entered with no experience as an offensive or defensive coordinator.

March 16, 2021 Deshaun Watson lawsuits begin By early April, almost two dozen civil lawsuits had been filed against Watson by various massage therapists, each of them alleging sexual assault or misconduct from private sessions the quarterback had booked between 2019-2021.
Jan. 13, 2022

David Culley fired

The Texans went 4-13 under the first-time coach. Watson, meanwhile, sat out every game of the 2021 season due to “personal reasons,” still awaiting potential discipline for his alleged misconduct.

March 10, 2022

Lovie Smith hired as new coach

After a prolonged search, the Texans promoted Culley’s incumbent defensive coordinator. This marked Smith’s first head coaching gig in seven years.

March 18, 2022

Deshaun Watson traded to Browns

Tentatively cleared of criminal wrongdoing, Watson was dealt to Cleveland in exchange for a massive package including three first-round draft picks. He soon signed a record contract with Cleveland, and drew an 11-game NFL suspension.

Jan. 8, 2023

Lovie Smith fired

The Texans went 3-13-1 in their first and only season under Smith’s direction, with second-year quarterback Davis Mills starting under center.

Jan. 31, 2023

DeMeco Ryans hired as new coach

After successive 60+-year-old coaches, the Texans hired Ryans, 38, the team’s former star linebacker and a highly regarded ex-San Francisco 49ers assistant.

April 27, 2023

C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. drafted

In their first draft under the Ryans-Caserio regime, the Texans selected Stroud, the star Ohio State quarterback, at No. 2 overall; then traded back up to select Anderson, the Alabama pass rusher; at No. 3.

Jan. 7, 2024

Playoff berth clinched

Ahead of winning Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, respectively, Stroud and Anderson led Houston to its first postseason appearance since 2019. Also fueled by breakouts from young weapons like Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Houston would go on to advance to the divisional round.

March 12, 2024 Danielle Hunter, other veterans signed Flush with salary cap space, the Texans added big names to their defense in Hunter, the longtime Minnesota Vikings pass rusher; Azeez Al-Shaair, the former 49ers linebacker; and Denico Autry, a longtime Tennessee Titans starter.
April 3, 2024 Stefon Diggs acquired Already well-stocked around Stroud, Houston added another prolific pass catcher for its young quarterback in Diggs, the ex-Vikings and Buffalo Bills star coming off six straight 1,000-yard seasons.

Deshaun Watson doesn’t plan on missing any time this upcoming season. The Cleveland Browns quarterback proclaimed on Thursday that he will be ready to play when his team kicks things off in Week 1 of the 2024 campaign, via Cleveland.com.

Watson has been working his way back from shoulder surgery, which he underwent following the Browns’ Week 10 win over the Ravens last season. Watson went 5-1 as Cleveland’s starter in 2023 before suffering the season-ending injury.

“I’m very confident in the roles of the doctors,” Watson said when asked about his chances of achieving his Week 1 target date. “Following their lead. And just my work and my preparation. I’ve put my whole life into this. I want to make sure I come back even better than before.”

A three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans, Watson has yet to live up to the massive contract he signed with the Browns after being traded from Houston to Cleveland in 2022. While he has an 8-4 record as Cleveland’s starter, Watson has completed less than 60% of his pass attempts in a Browns uniform. He’s also thrown just 14 touchdowns against just nine picks in those 12 games.

Watson did have arguably his greatest moment in a Browns uniform during his most recent start. Despite playing with a badly injured shoulder (that ultimately led to his season-ending surgery), Watson completed each of his 14 pass attempts in the second half while leading Cleveland to a come-from-behind 33-31 win over Baltimore.

While the Buffalo Bills’ decision on Wednesday to trade Stefon Diggs caught most everybody by surprise, Tom Brady had long envisioned this move coming to fruition.

Two years ago, during Capital One’s The Match involving himself and fellow quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, Brady alluded that the Bills’ quarterback will lose his top receiver after Rodgers and Mahomes saw their best wideouts leave town that offseason.

“I’ve got my boy, Mike [Evans], ready to catch,” a smiling Brady said to his fellow quarterbacks. “I don’t even know, who caught Aaron’s? Davante [Adams] left him. Tyreek [Hill] left you, Patrick. Josh, don’t worry. Someone’s going to leave you, too.”

“Who caught Aaron’s? Davante left him. Tyreek left you, Patrick.”

The QBs had to bring a receiver for this chip challenge and @TomBrady came out hot 💀 #CapitalOnesTheMatch is June 1 on TNT pic.twitter.com/3xCgLbJ5Ye

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 24, 2022
Brady’s warning to Allen ultimately became a reality Wednesday, when the Bills traded Diggs and two future late-round draft picks to the Texans in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick. Like Rodgers and Mahomes before him, Allen will now try to have success without his No. 1 receiver.

Allen is surely hoping to mimic what Mahomes has been able to do after losing Hill. Mahomes is coming off back-to-back Super Bowl wins and is currently trying to become the first quarterback to win three straight Super Bowls.

Things haven’t been as rosy for Rodgers since he lost Adams. Fresh off back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers and the Packers missed the playoffs in 2022. He was looking forward to working with Garrett Wilson in New York before an Achilles injury in Week 1 sidelined him for the rest of the 2023 season.