The fate of a Massachusetts woman who allegedly killed her three children in 2023 is being decided at court, but outside the courthouse, hundreds of women rallied to show their support for the defendant.

Lindsay Clancy of Duxbury has allegedly admitted to killing the children, ages 5, 3, and 8 months old, but a jury is deciding whether she should be found guilty of murder or exonerated over mental illness related to postpartum depression.

‘Any one of us who have dealt with mental health, anxiety, depression, postpartum — I think we just know that any one of us could be sitting in her chair.’

The case has stirred a nationwide debate that led to the courthouse demonstration Thursday.

“I think that every one of us women believe that it could be any one of us,” said Renee Kimball, who organized the event. “Any one of us who have dealt with mental health, anxiety, depression, postpartum — I think we just know that any one of us could be sitting in her chair.”

The defense has argued that Clancy tried to seek treatment for mental illness and experienced depression and anxiety in the weeks before she allegedly killed the children. Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, has also claimed that overmedication exacerbated Clancy’s mental illness.

The prosecution is seeking a murder conviction on the basis that she allegedly intentionally killed the children and should be held criminally responsible.

The women supporting Clancy wore pink to advocate for better availability of treatment for postpartum depression.

“I think that it’s been so in the dark,” said Louise Saunders of Reading. “As women, we’re told to smile, and you know, it’s natural to be a mom, so if you aren’t really into it and you can’t do it well with a smile, then you’re not doing it right.”

WBUR reported that some of the supporters cheered Reddington as a “fighter for women’s rights.”

He seemed to lean in to the role when speaking to the news media.

“I think that it shines a light on this issue,” Reddington said Thursday. “I mean, when a woman is going through what so many people do, and they go to a doctor, and the doctor says, you know, ‘Here, take this pill, take that pill, take this pill,’ and then they basically treat them for 15, 20 minutes and send them on their way. It’s just not right.”

They also cheered for Clancy when she arrived at the courthouse.

Reddington basically seems to be trying to persuade the jury to reject murder charges based on what is commonly known as an insanity defense.

RELATED: 3 ‘women’ accused in torture death of 7-year-old — cops say 2 are males who co-parented

Dozens of the pink-clad Clancy fans tried to get into court proceedings on Thursday, but many were turned away.

Others have argued that the support for Clancy downplays the evil that women can commit and makes postpartum depression and misogyny a scapegoat.

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​Lindsay clancy, Mental health, Postpartum depression, Womens rights, Politics 

An upcoming documentary on comedian Dane Cook revisits a disturbing chapter from the height of his fame two decades ago.

Cook was one of the first comedians to figure out how to turn the internet into a path to stardom. In the early 2000s, when most entertainers still regarded online file sharing as piracy to be stamped out, Cook embraced it, putting his stand-up on services such as Napster, LimeWire, and Kazaa while cultivating fans through his website and later MySpace.

‘How does this end?’

Secret ingredient

Fans passed his routines around as audio-only clips, and Cook painstakingly cultivated that audience online. By 2005, his second album, “Retaliation,” debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 — the highest-charting comedy album in nearly three decades — as Cook graduated to sold-out arenas and increasingly prominent television and movie roles.

But while Cook was becoming one of the defining comedians of the early internet era, someone close to him was quietly siphoning away the fortune that came with it.

Cook’s own half-brother, Darryl McCauley, was secretly stashing away millions of dollars from the comedian and hiding it like a mobster. A trailer for the upcoming documentary “Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story” reveals a wall safe packed to the brim with Cook’s cash.

Not only that, but there were “bricks of $100s” hidden inside pasta sauce. The video depicts bags stuffed with cash submerged in plastic containers of tomato sauce, all to the tune of $12 million.

RELATED: ‘BURN IT ALL DOWN’: Firebrand feminist filmmaker calls for violent revolution

Michael Schwartz/WireImage/NARAS

Jarring discovery

McCauley handled Cook’s finances as his manager from the late 1990s until 2008, with the theft reportedly beginning in 2004 when he began diverting funds to his own accounts from Cook’s.

First, the sums were in lower amounts, but receipts shown in the documentary still included a $22,000 transfer in September 2004. Before long, those amounts increased to $50,000 and then $100,000.

Cook wasn’t even aware.

“I was starting to feel something that I couldn’t really identify,” Cook says in the trailer. “Was he hiding it in different places, stockpiling this money?”

That’s where the sauce technique came in.

McCauley had an accomplice, too. According to an NBC Philadelphia report from 2010, McCauley’s wife was involved in his plot and received between two and three years in prison time.

McCauley himself pled guilty to seven counts of larceny over $250, three counts of forgery and embezzlement, and other charges. This garnered between five and six years in prison. He was 45 at the time, and Cook was 38.

RELATED: Rosie O’Donnell continues run at worst TV return ever with insane comments about ‘Nazis’

M. Caulfield/WireImage/LIONSGATE

O brother where art thou?

Even though both brothers wanted to become comedians, McCauley ended up becoming a corrections officer, with Cook describing him as “a person that spent so much time pretending to be something he wasn’t.”

Much of the focus of the new doc appears to be centered around Cook finding out what happened to his brother after his prison stint, when he seemingly disappeared.

“Where is he? What has he done? How does this end?” Cook narrates.

The comedian said that he still believes more money is out there and that other accomplices are likely involved.

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​Stand-up comedy, Dane cook, Embezzlement, Entertainment 

Josh Howerton, BlazeTV host and pastor of Lakepointe Church in Dallas, Texas, regularly receives emails from Christians in the DFW metroplex asking if they should try to legally stop mosques from being built in their city.

Data shows that Texas ranks third in the country for number of mosques and has seen significant growth in recent decades. Is aiming to stop or slow this growth a genuine Christian mission — or is it politics dressed up as a holy crusade?

On this episode of “Live Free,” Howerton responds to this inquiry by looking at both Scripture and the current law.

Howerton acknowledges the ideological divide among Christians regarding the issue of Islam. Some will point to the religious liberty granted by the First Amendment and Christianity being “the religion of invitation” and say “of course not” to organizing around mosque prevention. Others, he says, will strongly advocate for it on the grounds that Islam is “demon worship” that aims to “[overtake] cities” where their families live.

This division was on full display at a recent city council meeting in McKinney, Texas, where the council heard arguments surrounding the McKinney Islamic Association’s mosque expansion site plan, which the council still unanimously approved. The arguments were so contentious that the story made national news.

There were several Christians who advocated against the mosque’s expansion, some of whom did “not [display] team Jesus character,” says Howerton. He shares this reminder: “We are commanded in the book of Second Timothy to ‘correct opponents with gentleness and respect and to be people who conduct ourselves with a spirit of power and of love and of self-control.”’

But conduct aside, was their advocacy biblical?

Howerton acknowledges the complexity of the issue. It is true, he argues, that Christianity treats all opposing religions as “demon worship” (1 Corinthians 10:20). In the Old Testament, God harshly judged the kings who “allowed the construction of things that facilitated the worship of false gods in the nation,” he points out.

However, under the current American legal system that interprets the First Amendment to mean “radical pluralism,” the government is not allowed to treat one religion differently from another — even though our founders wanted religious tolerance for all but religious preference for Christianity, Howerton notes.

It’s right for Christians to want to stop the spread of the demon religion of Islam, he argues, but it’s a guaranteed lost battle with the modern interpretation of the First Amendment.

So where does that leave Christians who want to be “salt of the earth” in the public square?

The solution, says Howerton, is to fight Islam legally — opposing mosque building projects on zoning grounds or via existing legal restrictions on certain organizations.

In Texas, there are two ways to legally oppose the construction or expansion of a mosque.

The first, Howerton explains, is called a formal property owners protest. It lets nearby landowners who control at least 20% of the land next to the project to formally challenge the zoning change, which then forces the city council to get a larger majority of votes before it can approve it.

The second way, says Howerton, is to prove that a mosque or Islamic center’s construction or expansion is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood or Council on American-Islamic Relations (or their affiliates). Under Texas law, those groups are restricted from owning land, which gives protesters a legal basis to challenge the project.

“A significant number of potential mosque developments are connected in some way to one of the two organizations,” he explains.

“You file a public records request on the potential development’s paperwork, nonprofit status, and any connection to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood, and if you establish it … then you file that complaint with the Texas AG’s office, and it’s done.”

Howerton warns that the time for Christians to sit back and not take a stand on the issue of Islam’s growth in the United States is over.

“If you’re a Christian, whether you like it or not, you are going to have to learn to think about things like this in the next 20 years. You are no longer afforded the luxury of not having an answer to this question.”

To hear more, watch the episode above.

“Live Free with Josh Howerton” is on BlazeTV+, YouTube, and major podcast platforms.

Join BlazeTV+ and start watching Josh today at blazetv.com/JOSH. Use promo code JOSH40 to get $40 off your subscription.

​First amendment, Josh howerton, Religious liberty, Islam, Mosque, Blazetv show, Texas 

The U.S. national debt stood at roughly $85.06 billion at the turn of the 20th century, adjusted for inflation. At the turn of the 21st century, America’s outstanding debt was $5.67 trillion — the equivalent of roughly $10.99 trillion today.

According to the Department of the Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Fiscal Data dashboard, America’s total public debt outstanding as of Tuesday was $40,047,425,768,420.22. That’s roughly $116,832 per person.

‘The amount is significantly greater than US annual GDP.’

Of the over $40 trillion, $32.26 trillion is Treasury securities held by the public, including the Federal Reserve, state and local governments, domestic private investors, and foreign holders. The other $7.78 trillion is the total of intra-governmental debt holdings.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Thursday, “Remember, we did not get here in a day. We were left with a mess. The Biden administration had the highest deficit-to-GDP in history when we weren’t at war or weren’t in a recession. For 2025, we brought it down by more than a percent.”

Former President Barack Obama added $8.44 trillion to the national debt during his two terms. During the Biden presidency, the debt increased by $8.4 trillion. During President Donald Trump’s time in office, the debt has risen by $11.6 trillion — including $3.8 trillion in the time since his return to power in January 2025, reported Reuters.

After the debt cracked $40 trillion, Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, noted, “The gross national debt has doubled in the last 10 years; in less than 20 years, it has quadrupled. And today, we have confirmation that the debt has reached a new milestone of $40 trillion. It is staggering how predictable the fiscal decline of a global power can become.”

RELATED: It’s the economy, stupid — again

Alex Wong/Getty Images

MacGuineas highlighted that it took two centuries for America’s gross debt to reach $1 trillion — a milestone reached in 1981.

At the time, President Ronald Reagan stated, “This is a figure that’s literally beyond our comprehension.”

Blaze Media contributor Carol Roth told Blaze News, “Instead of celebrating America’s 250th, we are lamenting accumulating $40 trillion in debt. The scope of the debt is shocking, but there are two important related factors.”

“One is the rapid growth of the debt. I remember when we crossed $20 trillion in 2017, which was less than 10 years ago. We have doubled that with another $20 trillion in less than 10 years,” said Roth. “The second factor is how much it costs us to finance the debt, which I have been warning about for nearly two decades. Right now, we spend more to pay the interest costs of our debt than we do on the defense of the nation. At the rate we are going, it will soon become the U.S.’ largest expenditure category.”

“You cannot have a healthy, vibrant nation when you spend more to pay for your debt than anything else,” continued Roth. “The blame for this lands squarely at the feet of Congress, where both parties, who take in more than $5 trillion a year now, find a way to spend an incremental $2 trillion. And it is the fault of all in government that won’t address the rampant fraud, waste, and abuse in the system.”

The Wall Street Journal suggested that reaching the $40 trillion threshold “carries symbolic weight, but isn’t, by itself, economically significant.” It suggested, however, that it is prudent to keep an eye on the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio.

“The amount is significantly greater than U.S. annual GDP. That means even if all U.S. income went toward paying down the debt for a full year — rather than to things like salaries, corporate profits, and investment — the federal government would still owe trillions, by this measure,” said the journal.

The Congressional Budget Office projected in a February report that “deficits are large by historical standards. The deficit totals $1.9 trillion in fiscal year 2026 and grows to $3.1 trillion in 2036. Relative to the size of the economy, the deficit is 5.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 and increases to 6.7% in 2036. Deficits averaged 3.8% of GDP over the last 50 years.”

The CBO projected further that debt held by the public will rise from 101% of GDP this year to 120% in 2036.

The CBO noted that its projections changed since January 2025 primarily because of three major policy developments: “The 2025 reconciliation act increased deficits by an estimated $4.7 trillion; higher tariffs reduced deficits by an estimated $3.0 trillion; and administrative actions related to immigration increased deficits by an estimated $0.5 trillion.”

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​National debt, Economy, Debt, Department of the treasury, Scott bessent, Donald trump, Barack obama, Joe biden, Politics 

A Florida mother has been arrested after allegedly posting videos showing her igniting a fire in her kitchen and pouring hot wax on her young daughters, according to authorities.

Meliza Campos-Sanchez, 26, was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree arson, child abuse, and child neglect, according to records from the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.

‘In one video, Campos-Sanchez can allegedly be seen dancing in a silver mask and lighting a pile of clothing on fire.’

Jail records show Campos-Sanchez is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and has an immigration hold.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and sheriff’s deputies went to Campos-Sanchez’s home in Miami regarding a dwelling fire on Sunday, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.

Law&Crime reported, “Upon arriving, first responders found damage to the center of the tiled kitchen floor, along with a silver mask, a red wand lighter, and a clear plastic condiment bottle believed to have held rubbing alcohol.”

The affidavit stated that the fire had been started intentionally “by an open flame held to ignitable liquids and combustible materials.”

Police interviewed Campos-Sanchez’s 6-year-old daughter, who said she and her younger sister had been in the laundry room next to the kitchen when they saw their mother start the fire and throw a glass mug on the floor while dancing, according to the affidavit.

The fire was extinguished when Campos-Sanchez used a bowl of water to put out the flames, according to the affidavit.

Court documents said Campos-Sanchez allegedly poured hot wax on her daughters after the fire was put out.

“Afterwards, [the 6-year-old] stated that her mother brought her and her sister into the kitchen and began pouring what she describes as ‘HOT WATER OR AGUA’ from the lit candles (melted candle wax) on herself, [the 6-year-old], and her sister,” police wrote in the affidavit.

RELATED: Florida mom accused of vile child porn crimes against her daughter — could face death penalty for sexual battery charges

BrianAJackson/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Investigators discovered the Instagram account of Campos-Sanchez that has nearly 65,000 followers.

Authorities found two Instagram videos on her account, including one involving her children, ages 3 and 6.

True Crime reported, “In one video, Campos-Sanchez can allegedly be seen dancing in a silver mask and lighting a pile of clothing on fire, and in another, she is allegedly seen pouring hot wax onto herself and onto her daughters’ hands.”

The affidavit said, “One video shows the defendant in the kitchen of her home, using lit candles to pour hot melted candle wax on her own leg, and then in the hands of her two daughters.”

As of Thursday afternoon, those videos remain posted on the verified Instagram account “melizacsanchez.”

Campos-Sanchez was arrested on Monday and taken to a hospital. Police said she was placed under a Baker Act hold for a temporary mental health evaluation. Deputies took Campos-Sanchez into custody after she was cleared for discharge from the hospital.

Citing the affidavit, People magazine reported that Campos-Sanchez’s husband, Yusniel Cue, informed investigators that he and his wife had been dealing with marital issues. He stated that he had spent the week before the alleged incident staying with his parents while Campos-Sanchez remained at the home with their daughters.

The affidavit further states that Cue told law enforcement that Campos-Sanchez had previously attempted suicide and that he had contacted the sheriff’s office the preceding week over concerns for their children, People reported.

WTVJ-TV reported Cue told authorities that Campos-Sanchez had previously tied a rope in the rafters in a suicide attempt.

The New York Post reported that there were “alarming warnings of her behavior,” including “a series of images on Aug. 6 showing her posing with a handgun in her mouth, which she claimed in the caption was just a toy.”

Cue took custody of his daughters following the alleged incident.

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​Florida, Florida woman, Social media, Instagram, Viral videos, Child abuse, Crime 

A series of recent displays from Sophie Cunningham supporters has put the WNBA’s biggest problem right at their doorstep.

Even as the league admits to some missteps, actually addressing the issue has been left to female supporters at league games.

‘Women should not be responsible for validating men’s trans identities.’

When a mother and daughter recently went to a high-profile game between the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever on Sunday, they silently supported Cunningham’s pro-woman stance by wearing pro-women apparel. The result was the pair being asked by WNBA security officials to cover up their clothing.

The Dream subsequently put the onus on the WNBA for the incident, saying, “WNBA security took actions that fell short” of their standard.

“At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security,” the team added.

This forced the WNBA to acknowledge the “interactions” and say, “This should not have happened.”

By not addressing the actual issue, the league’s statements are meaningless, says Kasey Thomason, the mother who dared to wear “XX-XY” clothing at the Dream-Fever game.

Thomason told Blaze News, “The statements just pass the blame so they mean nothing.”

The mother added, “No one has reached out to us about the incident,” despite the high-profile nature of the event.

RELATED: WNBA team co-owner FINED and SUSPENDED for cursing out teen fans of Sophie Cunningham at Seattle game

When Cunningham and the Fever went on the road to Canada to face the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, supporters again came out, this time in droves.

Jennifer Arnold showed up with her group, Women & Girls Alberta, with a poster of Cunningham and a message that men do not belong in women’s sports.

Arnold relayed to Blaze News that about 200 people took photos with the poster, and overall it garnered a “very positive reception.”

Detractors allegedly totaled about six “young” protesters, and Arnold says that conversations with them revealed a general misconception about what her group actually believes.

“They falsely stated that people in favor of female-only sporting categories want to ban all people who identify as trans from sports altogether,” Arnold recalled. “We explained that is not true, and there are already biological women who identify as trans in women’s sports, and no one has an issue as they are female and therefore do not have a male performance advantage.”

The organizer also revealed that one of the counter-demonstrators, who was holding a “protect trans kids” sign, became agitated and appeared to grab a reporter’s phone.

RELATED: Cover up or ‘leave’? Mother and daughter say they were confronted at WNBA game over pro-women shirts

Kasey Thomason

Arnold concluded, “Women should not be responsible for validating men’s trans identities by giving up fairness on the court and privacy in the locker room.”

The hope from these fans turned activists is that the WNBA issues a female-only policy, akin to other women’s leagues. The WNBA already does, in theory, prohibit men. Article XIII, Section 1 of the WNBA’s 2026 collective-bargaining agreement says that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”

However, the league has refused to provide a definition for what they consider a woman to be, despite meeting to discuss the very issue earlier in August.

The league’s conclusion was: “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA.”

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​Wnba, Women’s sports, Sophie cunningham, Basketball, Sports 

Crowds of excited Buc-ee’s fans arrived at the first location in Arkansas at 4:30 a.m. on Monday in anticipation of the opening celebration.

Some of the attendees decked themselves out in Buc-ee’s-branded clothing and waited for hours to be the first to enter the Benton location and have a taste of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich or a brisket taco.

‘I’m starting to realize life’s too short to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing.’

During the opening ceremony, which included Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the famed convenience store brand’s co-founder said that they were planning far more locations in Arkansas.

Arch “Beaver” Aplin III is the president and CEO of Buc-ee’s in addition to being a co-founder.

“We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” he said to the crowd.

“And I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you’re building,” he added.

“So that leadership, that concept, that idea of conservative, business-friendly, family-oriented concept works so much better if it trickles down from the very leadership,” Aplin said, “from the very top at the governor’s office, at the congressman, at the senator, at the mayor, the representatives.”

Huckabee Sanders posted the video on her Facebook page and added her endorsement of his comments.

“That’s why red states like Arkansas are surging and people and businesses are fleeing blue state [sic],” she wrote.

The Buc-ee’s location in Benton includes 120 gas pumps and encompasses a 74,000-square foot building.

RELATED: Fear the beaver: How a gas station became a cult (and why you should consider joining)

“In the world of economic development, a project of this size — with more than 200 jobs, nearly 75,000 square feet — can usually take years to develop,” Huckabee Sanders said at the grand opening. “But having spent time with Beaver, I know he’s not the type of guy to stand around and let something drag on, and neither is Saline County.”

Buc-ee’s has also faced some backlash after the company has aggressively sued to stop any use of a cartoon beaver as a business mascot. One target is the corner store Beaver’s Mini Mart, which has been in operation for more than two decades in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.

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​Arkansas, Bucees, Conservative, Business, Politics 

Leftist streamer Hasan Piker uses his platform to deliver provocative, anti-American takes with little care for how they might be received. However, as conservatives resurface some of his most inflammatory remarks, Piker appears far less enthusiastic about the spotlight.

“What’s insane is apparently Hasan is threatening lawsuits because Scott Jennings allegedly used his clips on the radio, and Hasan is like crashing out. He’s like, ‘I might sue,'” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

“Let’s work on this Scott Jennings situation first, and then I’ll see what to do about him too. It looks like the news cycle might be moving on. The article per day number is going down. Yeah, because they got their point across,” Piker said on his podcast.

“I’ll see … what I can do about them,” Gonzales mocks, before showing a clip of Piker “on his hatred of America and of the American flag.”

“They can do whatever the f**k they want with the American flag and the Israeli flag. I wipe my ass with the American flag,” Piker said.

Piker went on to explain that as a “communicator” he understands “the utter moral depravity of the average American.”

But that’s not the worst thing Piker has said.

“We’re going to keep bringing in immigrants in this country on purpose just so they can f**k your sister and then maybe even your daughter. We’re going to destroy the white race … that’s what we’re here to do,” he said on another episode of his podcast.

“That was the one that I had said that I reacted to. So I just think it’s kind of strange. It’s like, OK, I’m just using your words and your clips and I’m just playing the things that you said. I don’t know why you would want to sue?” Gonzales says.

“It’s like Libs of TikTok, right? It’s like you put it out there on the internet, you live streamed it, and I in all of my benevolence put it out there to way more people,” she continues.

“It’s like I’m just putting this in front of more eyeballs for you, and I don’t even get a thank you for that. I get a threat of a lawsuit,” she adds.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Conservatives, Hasan piker, Immigrants, Israeli flag, Libs of tiktok, Sara gonzales, Scott jennings, Lawsuit, American flag, Blazetv show 

The stereotype of the academically challenged athlete who gets away with skipping class is so overused it’s almost expected.

That’s why when a college football player recently revealed he was working at a golf course and not going to class, it seemed almost too ridiculous to be real.

‘Nine Houston student-athletes entered the season having already earned an undergraduate degree.’

This isn’t a trope, however. It’s a real-life scenario.

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has no school this semester, unless he counts preparing for football games.

Sellers instead goes to a local golf course, where he is practicing “facility management” by “cutting grass and picking up balls,” Fox News reported.

Another example is recent NFL Draft pick Carson Beck from the University of Miami, who had six years of NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19, but he was blasted online back in January for saying he had “no class” and had actually graduated two years earlier.

As easy as it is to believe that colleges are giving students who can barely read a passing grade — like Hank of “King of the Hill” — the class-less college football star of today is more likely to be an athlete who previously put in the work, at least in the more popularized stories.

Sellers is living lavishly on the greens because that is the final internship work he needs to graduate with a degree in sports and entertainment in December. Beck had “no class” in the lead-up to the National Championship game in January because he graduated from Georgia in 2024 and then transferred to Miami as a graduate student.

In fact, college teams having a sizable chunk of their roster earning their degrees ahead of time is nothing new.

In 2017, the University of Houston had nine.

RELATED: Former NFL player deported after allegedly threatening an Uber driver with hatchet

David Jensen/Getty Images

“Nine Houston student-athletes entered the season having already earned an undergraduate degree,” a 2017 Hawaii Bowl guide touted. And Houston ranked only No. 17 nationally that year in terms of players having earned degrees prior to the start of the season.

For 2025, the leading schools, Northwestern and Virginia, both had 34 players enter the season having already earned their degrees. Tennessee Tech had 32.

This is part of a growing trend that has nearly quadrupled in volume since 2017, according to the National Football Foundation. The same year, Houston had what appeared to be shocking numbers; 971 students from 213 schools were playing college football after having graduated.

That number exploded to 3,695 students in 304 schools in 2025.

RELATED: Arkansas football player discovers would-be assassin hiding in the unlikeliest of places

Tim Warner/Getty Images

Still, the precedent was set decades ago.

Mississippi State’s Justin Senior won an award for Mississippi’s most outstanding collegiate offensive lineman in 2016 after earning his degree ahead of time.

Going back to 2007, ASU’s Zach Krula earned his degree before his senior year, while in 2003 Georgia Tech punter Hal Higgins was noted for having earned his degree ahead of time after battling Hodgkin’s disease. He then pursued an MBA while still playing college football.

This all means that the next time a story comes around about an athlete who isn’t going to class, it is more likely a circumstance that is not just condoned by the school, but rather championed and promoted.

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​Football, Ncaa, College athletes, Sports