The player rating in EA Sports’ “College Football 25” is starting to resemble the Heisman leaderboard.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty’s overall rating in the video game increased by a point, moving up to a 97 overall to tie him for the highest-rated player in “College Football 25,” EA Sports shared in its latest ratings update on Thursday. Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan‘s Will Johnson were previously the only other players to have a 97 rating in the game. Neither of their ratings moved in the latest update.

Jeanty has taken the college football world by storm this fall. He leads the country in rushing (1,248 yards) by more than 200 yards and is averaging a whopping 9.9 yards per carry. He’s also tied for first among all running backs in rushing touchdowns, reaching the end zone 17 times this year. Additionally, Jeanty has rushed for at least 180 yards in five of Boise State’s first six games.

As Jeanty has dominated his competition this season, he has quickly surged up the odds board for the Heisman. Entering Week 9, he is the favorite to win the award at +220. Hunter was close behind Jeanty a couple of weeks ago, with his odds of winning the award moving to +350 on Oct. 6. But a shoulder injury has limited Hunter’s snaps over Colorado’s past two games, causing his odds to drop to +2200. 

Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward now has the second-best odds to win the Heisman (+260), and he saw his rating in “College Football 25” increase on Thursday as well. It was bumped by two points, making him a 93 overall. Ward leads the nation in passing yards (2,538) and passing touchdowns (24) to go with 190 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

While Ward is second on the Heisman odds board, he isn’t the highest-rated quarterback in “College Football 25.” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the highest-rated quarterback in the game, with his rating improving by a point to 94 in the latest update. Sanders is fifth in the nation in passing (2,268) to go with 19 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s rating also improved by a point, making his overall rating a 93.

Is Shedeur Sanders the best QB in College Football?

Several other notable players had their overall rating increased in Thursday’s update. Star freshmen wide receivers Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Ryan Williams of Alabama were both bumped up to a 90 overall. With the increase, both are now among the 13 highest-rated wide receivers in the game. 

A pair of Penn State stars also had their overall ratings increased amid the team’s 6-0 start. Edge rusher Abdul Carter’s rating increased by three points, giving him a 94 overall. His increase makes him the second-highest-rated edge rusher in the game, trailing only Tennessee‘s James Pearce. Quarterback Drew Allar’s rating increased by two points, giving him a 91. Allar is one of the seven highest-rated quarterbacks in the game with the increase.

Other notable player ratings increases include Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. Manning’s rating was bumped two points, giving him an 89 overall rating in the game after he impressed in two starts earlier this season. Johnson’s rating increased by four points, making him a 91 overall. Johnson is second in the nation in rushing (1,035 yards) and has rushed for 13 touchdowns this season. 

San Diego State edge rusher Trey White had the biggest overall rating increase in the latest update. His rating improved 15 points, moving up to an 88 overall. White is tied for the most sacks in the nation (11) and has 32 total tackles to go with a forced fumble.

There were also some players who saw their ratings decrease in the latest update. Both Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita saw their respective ratings decrease by a point. Beck, who’s now a 91 overall, has thrown for 1,993 yards and 15 touchdowns this season but has also thrown eight interceptions over the past four games. Fifita, whose rating is now at an 88, has thrown for more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) this season amid Arizona’s 3-4 start.

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Paige VanZant wasn’t happy with the result in her latest slap fighting match but she takes responsibility for the foul that ultimately led to her draw against Chelsea Dodson on Thursday in Abu Dhabi.

The former UFC fighter and BKFC veteran landed an illegal blow in the second round of her sophomore match in Power Slap, which cost her a point and ultimately the decision. It was VanZant’s second strike thrown when she was penalized for “clubbing” after connecting more of her wrist and arm than the hand, which actually opened a small cut on Dodson’s face.

As a result, VanZant lost a point and without a knockout or knockdown to help even the score in the final round, she could only earn a draw.

“Well guys, Power Slap is over,” VanZant said on her Instagram. “Went home with the draw. I accidentally clubbed. That was my fault. Still learning. I was a little bit too close on one of my shots. Just got to get my distance right for the next one. Power Slap, you’re going to see me again.”

The match, which ended with 28-28 scores across the board, was VanZant’s second appearance in the Dana White owned promotion after she debuted there back in June. On that night, VanZant earned a unanimous decision win after she ate all three shots from her opponent and actually delivered a brutal knockdown along the way.

VanZant later stated that Power Slap was supposed to be a “bucket list” item to check off for her combat sports career but she enjoyed it so much that she booked a second match ahead of UFC 308 weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Despite the disappointing result, VanZant has now vowed to return with hopes to return to the win column in her next appearance.

ABU DHABI – Dana White might have other plans, but Khamzat Chimaev isn’t opposed to the idea of changing his mind after Saturday.

UFC CEO White recently said a rematch with former champion Sean Strickland will be the next title defense for middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, who recently defended the belt with a submission of former champ Israel Adesanya.

Du Plessis beat Strickland by unanimous decision in January to win the 185-pound strap. But among the fighters waiting in the wings is Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who on Saturday takes on another former champ, Robert Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC), in the UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) co-main event at Etihad Arena.

If Chimaev, more than a 2-1 favorite to stay unbeaten against Whittaker, can win impressively, is it possible he could skip past Strickland? Stranger things have happened than upheaval at the top of a UFC title picture after things apparently had been settled.

But Chimaev certainly won’t count on the idea of being next.

“I hope so, but they said that before, as well,” Chimaev said at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day in Abu Dhabi. “When I beat Gilbert Burns, I didn’t have my chance. After that was (Kamaru) Usman, and ‘if he beats Usman, he’s going to fight for the title.’ I haven’t fought (for the title) yet, so we’ll see.”

One of the things that has been holding Chimaev back in that regard, almost certainly, has been his inactivity due to health issues. He beat Burns in April 2022, but for a September fight with Nate Diaz, he botched his weight cut severely and fought Kevin Holland at middleweight, instead. But then he didn’t fight again for more than a year when he beat Usman, and his fight with Whittaker already was delayed from June.

Chimaev has dealt with lingering COVID-19 issues in the past, to go along with a mysterious illness that took him out of commission over the summer.

He’s apparently done well enough financially to not stress about his lack of activity, and insists having more money isn’t making him less hungry for a title.

“I’m happy with the money. I’m making more money than any champions,” he said before he added: “Money is not changing (me). People will be the same. I’m staying humble as I was before.”

Check out Chimaev’s full media day interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

ABU DHABI – Muhammad Mokaev still has faith that he’ll make his way back to the UFC.

Despite improving to 7-0 in the octagon with a win over Manel Kape at UFC 304, the UFC opted not to re-sign Mokaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC). Dana White announced the news in harsh fashion during the post-fight news conference.

As an undefeated fighter on the cusp of flyweight title contention, Mokaev knew something was off when he wasn’t offered a new contract during his UFC deal.

“I was feeling this because it was my last fight on the contract. I was feeling something not going right,” Mokaev told MMA Junkie. “I don’t think it’s because of what happened between me and Manel at the hotel because usually they change the contract not on the last fight, maybe like two fights left. But I was on my last fight, and I asked for a new contract, I couldn’t get it, and I felt something was going on.”

Mokaev thinks the UFC’s decision came because of a mix of things – his behavior, which included multiple altercations with Kape, as well as his fighting style. He has since signed with BRAVE CF, his home prior to joining the UFC.

“I’ve been told I need to have more finishes inside the octagon,” Mokaev said. “But I’m 7-0, four finishes, I was 23 years old, I don’t know what else? I cannot get seven out of seven. I tried my best. I came out from all big injuries, still competing, still accepting the big names. Now in the UFC, I have five fighters who I beat, all in top 15, and I think I just need to sit down and speak to Dana.

“I spoke to Hunter (Campbell) straight after what happened in Manchester. He said, ‘We will see you back in the UFC,’ but maybe they want to see me mature more outside the octagon, but whatever happened, I’m ready to come back now. I’m fighting in BRAVE, so whenever they call me, I’m ready. I want to become UFC champion, and I knew I could because I was very, very close to it.”

Mokaev, who competes in Friday’s ADXC 6 event when he takes on fellow ex-UFC fighter Rogerio Bontorin in a no-gi grappling match, hopes he can call the octagon his home again next year.

“I think one or two fights,” Mokaev said. “I think that’s the amount of fights that I need to do, but I just want to stay busy.”

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway meet in the featherweight championship main event this Saturday at UFC 308, a fight the MMA community has been waiting for since it was announced.

Watch MMA Fighting’s UFC 308 Timeline video for an in-depth look at how both headliners got to this weekend’s pay-per-view at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The undefeated Topuria captured the UFC featherweight title with a Knockout of the Year contending finish of Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298 in February. Prior to that, Topuria competed in his first promotional headliner at UFC Jacksonville, earning a lopsided unanimous decision victory against Josh Emmett in June 2023.

Holloway looks to once again call himself 145-pound champ. Since losing to Volkanovski for the third time at UFC 276 in July 2022, “Blessed” has been on a roll, winning all of his fights, including a knockout for the ages of Justin Gaethje at April’s UFC 300 event to win the BMF title.

Will Topuria’s streak of dominance continue, or will the Blessed Express begin another championship journey?