Ashton Jeanty was more thinking about basketball than football as a baby. Before he grew right into a 5-foot-10 battering ram in cleats, his favorite athlete was LeBron James. Jeanty, who traveled the world because the son of a naval officer, spent a part of his childhood in Florida when James played for the Miami Heat.

“Watching (LeBron) beat the odds,” Jeanty said, “I feel like I did the same thing in my career.”

That's why Boise State's running back will eternally be the reply to the identical query: Who is your favorite athlete? – for a generation of Broncos fans.

Jeanty didn’t win the Heisman Trophy, ending second to Colorado's Travis Hunter. But he earned probably the most points from a Heisman runner-up and compelled the narrowest defeat since 2009. He also won the Maxwell Award (player of the 12 months), the Doak Walker Award (best running back) and unanimous All-American Award honors. And Jeanty has her sights set on one other necessary milestone.

He enters the College Football Playoff with 2,497 rushing yards this season, just 131 yards shy of the official single-season college football record set by Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1988. Considering Jeanty has averaged 192.1 rushing yards per game this season, there's not less than probability he overturns that record within the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against Penn State on Dec. 31.

But Jeanty is greater than only a Heisman runner-up and future NFL first-round running back on the verge of a record-setting statistical performance. At a Boise State program with a fame as giant-killers and a protracted history of running backs, he has managed to face out from the remainder.

“Ashton Jeanty is phenomenal for college football and he will be phenomenal for the NFL,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “Not just from his play on the field, but also from the culture he brings with him.”

There are some nuances to Sanders' record. He ran for two,628 yards in only 11 games on his method to the Heisman in 1988; Jeanty has already played 13 games. And Sanders' unofficial record is 2,850 yards for those who include the 222 yards he amassed within the Holiday Bowl before bowl game stats were officially counted.

There will likely be those that devalue Jeanty's record if he actually sets it, but Sanders won't be amongst them, sending a tweet wishing Jeanty good luck before Boise's victory within the Mountain West championship.

“My fans can complain, but records are meant to be broken and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you,” Sanders wrote.

Hey @AshtonJeanty2 – I wish you good luck this evening.
My fans can complain, but records are supposed to be broken and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. I like seeing all of this @NFL And @NCAA #RBs Displays the worth of the position. #RunTheRock pic.twitter.com/bk0NtPbAL0

– Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) December 6, 2024

When asked about Sanders' accomplishment, Jeanty said it will be “like the icing on the cake to break a record that has stood for decades,” especially after he got here up just short within the Heisman race. But as Boise State enters its first 12-team playoffs because the No. 3 seed within the Group of 5, the record — achieved or not, challenged or not — doesn't change what Jeanty achieved.

The stats are staggering, as if Paul Bunyan played highschool football. Nearly 2,500 rushing yards, FBS-leading 30 total touchdowns, 7.3 yards per carry and 6 games with over 200 rushing yards. His season low was 127 yards against Portland State and he was pulled at halftime. Jeanty singlehandedly outpaced 115 FBS teams this season. The next player closest to him when it comes to rushing yards is North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with 1,660. That's lower than the 1,889 yards Jeanty gained after contact. He is the primary since 2019 to eclipse 2,000 yards.

“I love watching Ashton play – the mix of physicality, speed and control,” said Alexander Mattison, a former Boise State running back who now plays within the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. “But I was able to get to know him not only as a football player, but also as a real person. It's fun to see him get everything he deserves. He loves the game, and if you love the game, it will love you back.”

There is a formidable lineage of running backs at Boise State, with Jeanty set to be the subsequent in a protracted line of Broncos star players who’ve gone on to play within the NFL. Jeanty passed Cedric Minter as this system's all-time leading rusher this season and broke quite a lot of other records Minter has held since not less than 1980. But the road of recent tailbacks extends to Ian Johnson, who won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl handing over of the Statue of Liberty, followed by Jeremy Avery, Doug Martin, DJ Harper, Jay Ajayi (the previous single-season record holder), Jeremy McNichols, Mattison and George Holani.

It's a fairly long list, and that's just the running backs. Former quarterback Kellen Moore is the winningest QB in FBS history (50) and this system's only other Heisman finalist (he finished fourth in 2010). He stays a Boise State icon. But after this season, nobody can compare to what Jeanty did on the sphere or what he embodies off the sphere.

“He is a unanimous captain, part of our leadership council,” said Danielson, who added that he meets with Jeanty in person every week after those council meetings.

“Every time we have these meetings it’s not about Ashton. He asks about the team, a player, how he can help lead better and have more influence,” Danielson said. “This is unusual. It’s different in every facet.”

Jeanty cares deeply concerning the awards and accolades. He hasn't shied away from counting down the person goals he set for himself this season or lamenting his Heisman finish, saying, “I really felt like I should have walked away with the award.” That is considered one of the explanations he returned to Boise State this season because he believed he could accomplish anything he wanted where he was.

But Jeanty also cares concerning the legacy he’ll leave behind. For this reason, he has made it his mission to be team captain, leader and de facto spokesman. For this reason, he turned down more lucrative name, image and likeness (NIL) offers to transfer elsewhere last offseason. That's why he created the Ashton Jeanty Endowed Scholarship for Football – in October, before he broke records, became a Heisman finalist and led the Broncos to a Mountain West title and a first-round CFP bye. The scholarship has raised greater than $180,000 toward its goal of $200,000 to support future Boise State student-athletes.

“He’s like a movie star here,” athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said. “We finally had to get him security so we could stop the autograph and photo lines. It was our responsibility to help him because he’s such a good boy, he didn’t want to say no to anyone.”

Already probably the most decorated player in program history, Jeanty has put Boise State in position to compete for a serious league national championship for the primary time. He has a probability to set a single-season rushing record that would last for a long time.

And none of it can outlast what he meant to Boise State football and the community around it.

“Culture is about the people who are here – they just bring back what Boise State was and have a positive influence on everyone,” Jeanty said. “People won’t remember the stats, they won’t remember the games. But they will remember how I treated people, how I conducted myself during my time here and the impact that had.”

—Vic Tafur contributed reporting

From The Associated Press

The Auburn Tigers won one second transfer quarterbackwith the addition of two-year Stanford starter Ashton Daniels.

Daniels, who announced his destination on Instagram on Monday, joins former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold on the move to the quarterback-hungry Tigers.

Auburn needs to interchange starter Payton Thorne, and two backup players have entered the transfer portal. Daniels passed for 3,986 yards, 21 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in three seasons at Stanford. He also ran for 1,117 yards and nine touchdowns.

The announcement got here two days after Auburn coach Hugh Freeze snatched Arnold from the portal. Freeze didn't get a quarterback from the portal last season and the Tigers struggled to endure their fourth straight losing season.

Daniels announced on December 5 that he was moving on from The Farm after substitute Justin Lamson walked out the door.

As a junior, Daniels rushed for 1,700 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 669 yards and three touchdowns as a rusher. He debuted as a rookie in 2022 in a limited role in David Shaw's final season and began the vast majority of the last two seasons under coach Troy Taylor.

Bear Bachmeier starred at Murrieta Valley, amassing 86 total touchdowns (30 rushing) as a dual threat in highschool. He could have to compete with former top recruit Elijah Brown, who will likely be a starter for the Cardinals next season after a disappointing 3-9 season.

Meanwhile, Penn State backup Beau Pribula is not going to be attending the team's game against SMU within the College Football Playoff.

The redshirt sophomore quarterback has announced he’s entering the transfer portal, taking him out of the combination when the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (11-2) tackle the Eleventh-seeded Mustangs (11-2) within the opening round on Saturday. received.

The transfer portal opened last week, lower than 24 hours after the 12-team CFP field was announced.

Originally published: December 16, 2024 at 7:20 pm PST

Travis Hunter was injured, left early and saw his team narrowly lose. That's no reason for anyone who thought the Colorado cornerback/receiver was the very best player in college football entering Saturday to think otherwise.

But the Heisman Trophy can't just be about being. It's all about doing something, and nobody does more on a weekly basis to get voters' attention than Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. As the candidate pool expands within the 2010 Heisman poll – to a season high of nine this week – Jeanty also boasts probably the most points scored by a candidate.

After rushing for 217 yards and a touchdown and catching a touchdown, Jeanty received 20 first-place votes and 74 points in Boise State's 28-7 win at Hawaii. That's a rise from the ten first-place votes and 58 points per week ago. Hunter placed second with six first-place votes and 52 points after topping the poll last week with 15 first-place votes and 67 points.

follows the identical voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, one point for a third-place vote.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward remained in third place with 21 points, once more securing the one first place spot after a foul week for the Hurricanes. This week's latest name is Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon quarterback who had a giant performance in a top-five contest that lived as much as his expectations – 341 yards passing and two touchdowns, plus a 27-yard touchdown run, for Ohio Beat State 32-32. 31.

He's been spectacular for what's now No. 2 within the country, and he has games against Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Washington coming up that may strengthen his position. The case may very well be reflected in a possible Big Ten Championship Game rematch against Ohio State if Gabriel can maintain a high level of play until then and get a second win against the Buckeyes.

Ward didn't get as many opportunities within the regular season, but he was the more dynamic player, and a possible ACC title matchup with Clemson may very well be a giant moment for him.

Those two are joined by three other quarterbacks within the straw poll: Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, who, after a shocking upset of No. 1 Alabama, controlled the sport in one other upset win at Kentucky; Alabama's Jalen Milroe, who could get a shot at Tennessee this week; and Kurtis Rourke of Indiana, whose 6-0 Hoosiers have an amazing probability at home against Nebraska.

Ohio State freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith received a vote after one other great performance, nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown within the dramatic loss at Oregon. He had a late catch that would have resulted in a game-winning field goal being nullified attributable to offensive pass interference, but a rookie doing that to a defensive back will still find yourself on highlight tape.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson is a first-time voter after running 21 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-16 win over Washington. Johnson is second nationally with 937 rushing yards and 156.2 rushing yards per game. Jeanty leads each categories, 1,248 yards and 208.0 per game. He also leads the nation with 17 rushing touchdowns and averages a ridiculous 9.9 yards per carry.

As Stewart Mandel identified, Jeanty is on pace to rush for two,704 yards if Boise State can reach the Mountain West title game. That would surpass Barry Sanders' 1988 FBS record of two,628 yards. Yes, Sanders did it in only 11 games and against powers like Oklahoma and Nebraska. But Jeanty shredded Oregon with 192 yards and three touchdowns, and anything near the record will make him hard to beat. Unless a quarterback has some dominance from here by way of individual and team success. Or when Hunter does some great things to remind everyone what a terrific and unique player he’s.

Mila Kunis gave the impression to be in a celebratory mood last week as she posed for photos with Michael Keaton on the premiere of her highly anticipated recent film, Goodrich.

But Kunis was apparently capable of attend the family drama's premiere, which begins Friday, without having to reply uncomfortable questions from reporters about her husband Ashton Kutcher and his longtime friendship with embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Since Combs' arrest last month on federal sex trafficking charges, Kutcher has been among the stars who may be concerned that new, unsavory details will emerge in criminal filings or civil lawsuits about the rapper's notorious parties. Federal prosecutors and alleged victims have alleged that at some of Combs' gatherings, women, men and even minors were forced to perform sexual acts for his pleasure during multi-day “freak-off” parties.

Following the music mogul's arrest in New York City on September 16, old photos emerged showing a young Kutcher with Combs, including him co-hosting the record producer's annual White Party in 2009. said the New York Post. Kutcher remained silent about the allegations surrounding his friend, which include sex trafficking, extortion, conspiracy and promotion of prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while he awaits trial.

Combs and Kutcher's friendship reportedly dates back to the early 2000s, while a resurfaced clip of Kutcher's appearance on “Hot Ones” in 2019 has come under special scrutiny, the New York Post said.

In the clip from the YouTube talk show, Kutcher's friendship with Combs becomes a topic of conversation. “There's a lot I can't say,” Kutcher said, clearly unwilling to discuss the rapper's partying on the show. “So, uh,” he said before pausing.

“I can’t say that either,” Kutcher laughed. “I actually drive through them. … Diddy party stories, man – that was a weird memory story.”

But if Kutcher was a co-host of Combs' 2009 White Party, in keeping with the New York Post, it's vital to notice that there isn’t a evidence that he or another stars who attended any of the White Parties, including Kutcher's first wife Demi Moore, involved criminal activity. It can also be vital to tell apart between Combs' lavish White Parties and the “Freak Off” parties, which were supposedly drug- and alcohol-fueled sex orgies.

Unfortunately for Kunis, she became embroiled in reports about her husband's friendship with Combs that included sources near the couple forced to disclaim Speculation that their nine-year marriage is in trouble. An insider told people last month that any talk of a breakup or separation resulting from the Combs controversy was “absolutely ridiculous and wrong.”

Kunis and Kutcher met while working together on the set of “That '70s Show” in 1998. Kunis was only 14 when she landed the role of Kutcher's character's lover. Kunis, who was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States when she was seven, admitted she lied about her age to get the role, the New York Post said.

Unfortunately for Kunis, the Combs controversy comes on the heels of one other PR nightmare for her and her husband – when each expressed public support for Danny Masterson, her “That '70s Show” co-star and one other good friend who was involved in several sexual assaults. Both Kunis and Kutcher wrote character letters on Masterson's behalf before he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape.

Kunis and Kutcher faced intense and sustained backlash over the character letters because they praised their friend as a “role model” and an “extraordinary person” – views that Masterson's accusers called “trivialized” his crimes and directly questioned their testimony.

The Combs scandal has led to a different rumor about Kunis and Kutcher, following the backlash from Masterson. According to In Touch WeeklyThe couple is considering a move to go away Hollywood and as a substitute construct a brand new life in Europe.

“Ashton is so upset about being dragged into the mud again because of his past connections,” an insider told In Touch Weekly. “First it was Danny Masterson and now it's Diddy, and it's convinced him that there are far better places to live than Hollywood. In his opinion, the city is currently just a cesspool.”

The couple spent the summer in Europe with their two children and took them to see Taylor Swift's Eras tour in London in June, In Touch Weekly reported. However, the source also reported that they might remain within the United States resulting from their respective careers. Kutcher can also be a successful technology investor while Kunis' acting profession is taking off. She is ready to star in the newest installment of the “Knives Out” series with Daniel Craig and is currently promoting “Goodrich,” for which she and Keaton also served as executive producers. Vogue reported.

In “Goodrich,” Kunis plays the pregnant daughter of Keaton's title character, an elderly art gallery owner who asks her for help caring for his 9-year-old twins when his younger wife checks herself into rehab.

MARTINEZ – Before he was sentenced to life in prison without the potential for parole for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Ramello Randle offered an evidence for why he stabbed his own attorney during his trial.

Randle, a 29-year-old Oakland resident, told a psychologist during an evaluation on Aug. 21 that he had two other personalities he knew as “Mello” and “Ashton.” Mello was a pleasant guy, but Ashton could make bad decisions at worst, he said, based on a duplicate of the report Randle filed in court.

“When I'm Ashton I get these migraines and I feel like I'm going to faint. This is what happened once I stabbed my lawyer. I got here to Ashton,” Randle said, according to Dr. Martin H. Williams. “(Ashton) believes everyone is out to hurt him. Sometimes it makes me want to hurt people. That’s not my intention, that’s not who I am.”

Williams was hired by Matthew Fregi, the defense attorney who Randle stabbed in the head and neck with a pen during Randle's murder trial last March, causing superficial injuries. But at the end of his interview, the psychologist concluded that Randle's portrayal of his alter egos was “logically inconsistent” and not credible, and he questioned how Randle learned of Ashton's existence if the blackouts were real. Fregi chose not to use the report for a defense, but Randle submitted it anyway as evidence for a handwritten defense motion, bypassing his counsel.

Randle was convicted last March of murdering his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Jonaye Lahkel Bridge, during a bitter custody battle. Prosecutors say he planted a tracking device in her car and followed her to a 7-Eleven in Antioch, where he shot her and a man as they sat in a vehicle. The man survived.

Since his arrest, Randle's murder case has been in chaos. He served as his own attorney for a trial last year but lost his self-representation and caused a mistrial by swearing at the prosecutor and judge in the presence of the jury.

After attacking a previous attorney in court, Randle Fregi was assigned as a court-appointed attorney. During his trial last March, Randle allegedly wrote “I'm sorry” on a piece of paper and then stabbed Fregi with a pen. Jurors witnessed the incident and one later said he was too upset to continue the case and was excused.

But the process limped along. Towards the end, Randle reportedly threatened to murder the entire jury if they found him guilty, according to multiple sources who witnessed the incident. After Randle was found guilty of murder and lying, he submitted a handwritten petition saying a life without parole sentence was “cruel and weird” and “clearly racial discrimination.”

Justice John Kennedy was apparently unmoved. Late last month, he sentenced Randle to life in prison without parole. On Sept. 26, Randle was transferred to North Kern State Prison, records show.

Originally published: October 1, 2024 at 6:27 p.m