In a twist that’s turning heads across the college sports landscape, former professional basketball players are finding their way back to NCAA hardwood. Some have returned from the G League.
One was even drafted into the NBA. And now, the question is starting to bubble up in another corner of college athletics: Could college football be next?
Jake Fromm, the former Georgia quarterback who once led the Bulldogs to the national title game, is definitely paying attention. On Wednesday, Fromm took to social media with a post that was equal parts curiosity and challenge:
“I’m game if somebody wants to pay for the legal fees!!”
It’s a lighthearted line, but it opens the door to a serious conversation. Fromm, after all, isn’t just any former college QB.
He was a three-year starter in Athens, racking up 78 touchdowns against just 18 interceptions. His poise and decision-making helped guide Georgia to a 36-7 record during his time under center.
After declaring for the NFL Draft, Fromm was selected in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills in 2020. His professional career has been brief-he appeared in three games, including two starts, for the New York Giants in 2021.
In those outings, he completed 27 of 60 passes for 210 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. It wasn’t the kind of NFL tenure that cements a long-term spot in the league, but it was enough to put him in the record books as a player who saw regular-season action.
And that’s where things get tricky.
In basketball, the NCAA has made room for players who spent time in the G League or were even drafted to return to college play, provided they meet certain eligibility standards. But football doesn’t have a G League equivalent.
The NFL is a straight shot-once you’re in, you’re in. And if you’ve played in a regular-season game, as Fromm has, the path back to college football is, at best, uncharted territory.
There’s no clear precedent. No rulebook example to follow.
No player has yet attempted to return to the college gridiron after taking NFL snaps. That makes Fromm’s post more than just a tweet-it’s a potential test balloon for what could become a seismic shift in the sport.
Is Fromm seriously considering a return? That part remains unclear.
His post could be read as tongue-in-cheek, or it could be the first public step in exploring a legal and logistical path back to college football. Either way, the idea is now out there.
And if someone like Fromm-high-profile, accomplished, and still relatively young-decides to pursue it, it could force the NCAA to confront a whole new set of questions. What constitutes amateurism in the NIL era?
How does prior professional experience factor into eligibility? And most importantly: Are the doors to college football as closed as we’ve always assumed?
With basketball players already breaking through, football may not be far behind. If a name like Fromm leads the charge, the ripple effects could reshape the college football landscape in ways we’ve never seen before.