Johnny Hayward / USA Today

Everyone has known for months, some even years, that Connor Bedard will go No. 1 to the Blackhawks in tonight’s NHL Draft. There isn’t even a chance for surprise, as our final mock draft confirms. But this is when a prospect sheds that status and becomes something different. 

For now, Bedard represents the highest level of prospect. Think LeBron James, Connor McDavid, Bryce Harper and Victor Wembanyama, who had his moment just a week ago. Bedard is that good. He will face immense pressure immediately. 

I thought Mark Lazerus’ story today on that very point was great. McDavid offers wisdom on how to enjoy the initial limelight. Jonathan Toews opens up about lessons he learned as a young hockey star in Chicago. Alexis Lafrenière details how to survive impossible expectations. 

So we should enjoy the moment Bedard walks across the stage, even though we all know it’s coming. Here’s the guy who could be a generational star beginning his career. It’s cool. 

After Bedard? That’s where the drama comes in. Make sure to read that mock draft, which details how a draft short on defensemen could get wonky, quickly. 

And will any more teams trade their first-round picks today? We’ve already seen a mad scramble occur. Corey Pronman and Max Bultman also have a live preview show up now. Buckle up.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died in Florida yesterday, according to the school district in which he coached high school football. A Michigan source confirmed to The Athletic that he drowned. In college, Mallett played at both Michigan and Arkansas, where he’s regarded as the best quarterback in program history. As news spread, former teammates and coaches shared memories of Mallett, which you can read here.

Another brewing NIL fight

NCAA rules should supersede contradictory state laws, according to the NCAA, as the governing body reminded member schools in a memo yesterday. This comes as a response to states passing expansive NIL regulations that allow collectives to directly pay athletes. Many school administrators have said state law — not NCAA guidelines — will govern how they operate. Get more on the upcoming battle here.

Michael Madrid / USA Today

The NHL Draft may be tonight, and NBA free agency is coming quickly. But college football is close. Like, 59-days-away close. 

Austin Mock booted up his projection system for a data-driven preseason top 25. The results are intriguing: 

1. Georgia (duh)
2. Alabama (hm) 
3. Michigan (sure) 
4. Ohio State (yep)
5. Penn State (whoa now)

To be fair, the Nittany Lions aren’t exactly a darkhorse. Stewart Mandel had them at No. 6 in his way-too-early top 25 back in January. But Penn State hasn’t had these preseason expectations in a minute. The program's highest preseason ranking of this millennium was No. 6 in 2017. 

But we should talk about Texas A&M, which checks in at No. 15 after a disastrous 5-7 season. From the outside, the program is in tatters. Fans were irate with Jimbo Fisher last season as his offense continued to struggle despite a loaded roster. He brought in Bobby Petrino, a noted beacon of stability, to run the unit this year. It feels like a bomb about to explode, and not in a good way. 

Mandel had them at No. 25, while I’d expect most rankings we see closer to September will leave them unranked. The data clearly believes in that roster, including a stacked defense, to fight through whatever off-the-field nonsense occurs. Mock’s model has them winning 7.8 games this year. Eight wins would be admirable against a tough schedule. 

See the rest of the top 25 here.

The Guardians won a nail-biter last night against the Royals, 2-1, thanks to Will Brennan’s RBI double in the ninth. If not for this bonkers snipe from catcher Bo Naylor, it might be a different story:

Just … how do you do that without looking? I get that catchers practice this every day, but sheesh. You don’t see that every day. 

P.S. Shohei Ohtani could’ve made this section four times last night. He struck out 10 batters on the mound and hit two home runs to give him 28 on the season, most in the majors. That simply does not happen. Plus, the Angels defied the meme and managed to beat the White Sox. 

He should get an ownership stake in the team. I’m half joking.