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It's official ... with the #1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Travon Walker!!!

Roger Goodell just announced the selection on a stage built near the strip in Las Vegas ... officially making the Georgia defensive end the newest Jag.

Of course, the pick is not a total surprise ... most experts' mock drafts in recent weeks have had Walker projected to go #1 overall.

The selection of Walker marks the second time in two years that the Jaguars have picked at the top of the draft -- remember, Jacksonville took Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence #1 in 2021.

Walker, meanwhile, is expected to be getting after quarterbacks right away in Duval. The guy was a star for the Bulldogs in his three seasons in Athens, recording 61 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble in his career.

He also helped UGA beat Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in January's National Championship ... registering three total tackles and one sack in the game.

Doug Pederson and Jaguars fans everywhere are certainly hoping that kind of production continues in Florida in 2022.

Officials looking into the tragic death of James Madison Univ. softball star Lauren Bernett suspect she died by suicide ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson tells us ... "We are in the process of conducting a death investigation into the incident and it is currently classified as an apparent suicide."

Hutcheson declined to release further details of the probe on Wednesday ... saying an official report from the Medical Examiner's Office is still pending.

"Out of respect for her family and friends," Hutcheson said, "there is no other information to release at this time."

As we previously reported, JMU officials announced on Tuesday that Bernett -- a sophomore catcher for the Dukes -- had died at the age of 20. She had just earned Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors on Monday for her performances in games earlier this month.

"College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day," JMU officials said in announcing the tragedy on Tuesday. "We are a tight family. We are grateful that Lauren has been part of our JMU Athletics community and will always consider her to be a Duke. We will miss her dearly."

"Our thoughts are with her family; her coaches, teammates and friends; the rest of our department staff and student-athletes; and the entire JMU community. JMU Nation is a close community, and we grieve together."

JMU canceled its softball doubleheader on Wednesday against Longwood following the news ... and later canceled its weekend series with Delaware as well.

Elon Musk's offer to buy Twitter might actually be one the company can't refuse -- the man is reportedly meeting with execs this weekend ... to seriously discuss his takeover proposal.

The Wall Street Journal reports that both sides are set to meet Sunday (today) to get into the weeds of his $43 billion bid ... which he put forth publicly, and for which he also just announced he got legit financing in the amount of $46.5 billion to actually make it happen.

Per WSJ, Twitter is receptive to negotiating a deal ... or at the very least, hearing Elon out and considering a final price tag -- even though EM says he won't budge on $54.20-a-share.

There's more on the table, potentially than just dough. WSJ says Twitter honchos are mulling over a number of factors ... including a final valuation of what they think the bird app is worth, the possibility of inviting other bidders ... and maybe even insisting on Elon covering breakup costs if the would-be deal falls apart (aka, sweeteners).

As for why Twitter would even entertain this ... Reuters reports they're under pressure from shareholders who want to get paid out. Elon reportedly met with a select number of bigwig shareholders this past week to make his pitch on why Twitter would be better in his hands.

Among the things he reportedly wants to change (beyond his "free speech" objections) ... allowing for longer tweets, and pivoting away ads. He also reportedly told several of them ... you'll never reach my share price on your own. Twitter's closing price Friday was $48.93.

Reuters says some shareholders have expressed to leadership that not only should they talk to Elon and feel him out -- but, more importantly, see if they can finagle a larger offer.

Time will tell if Elon's willing to spend a bit more to take Twitter private -- but he almost had folks thinking he was ditching this whole endeavor, tweeting "Moving on" Sunday ... later clarifying that he meant teasing Bill Gates regarding climate change.

Here's A$AP Rocky leaving LAPD headquarters -- surrounded by several officers -- after his arrest for a 2021 shooting.

The rapper posted $550k bail before he was able to walk out of police HQ Wednesday afternoon in DTLA, and directly into a waiting SUV in the rear parking lot. This was several hours after he was busted at LAX.

As we reported, Rocky was arrested after flying back from Barbados with Rihanna on a private jet, with cops meeting him at the terminal and taking him away in handcuffs.

We're told A$AP was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon with a gun ... and our law enforcement sources say the arrest is for a November 6 incident where an alleged victim claims Rocky shot at him multiple times, and at least one bullet grazed his left hand.

Police also served a search warrant at A$AP's home Wednesday in L.A., busting out a battering ram to get through his front gate.

When cops wrapped up their search, they left Rocky's house with a box of potential evidence.

Remember, Rocky had been in Barbados living it up with his pregnant gf RiRi ... jet skiing and hanging with her family and friends.

Wow.

Hall of Famer and Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright is expected to step down from his position after 21 years with the team ... this according to multiple reports.

Wright -- who's 60 years old -- is "seriously contemplating retiring" before the 2023 season ... and will make his decision after talking things over with his family, Shams Charania says.

Wright has a 642–282 overall record as a head coach ... including 4 Final Four appearances and national championships in 2016 and 2018.

Jay is known for his incredible fashion sense over the years -- as we previously reported, the guy spent thousands on his custom suits ... and won several awards for his looks.

Wright was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

He was the head coach of Hofstra University from 1994-2001 before joining 'Nova ... and was previously an assistant for Rochester, Drexel, Villanova and UNLV.

The move is pretty shocking ... and now Laker fans are going to start speculating about whether he will be their next coach.

Story developing ...

Cuba Gooding Jr. copped a plea deal in his sexual misconduct case ... and it means he's going to avoid jail time, as long as he keeps his nose clean.

The actor, who was facing 6 misdemeanor charges for 3 separate alleged incidents, pled guilty Wednesday to one count of forcible touching. That charge is for the 2019 case where a woman claimed Gooding kissed her without consent at New York City's LAVO nightclub.

Remember, a grand jury indicted Gooding in that case ... after he'd been arrested for another allegation. A different accuser said he had touched her breast without consent while they were at a rooftop bar in the Big Apple.

The case also included allegations from a server at TAO Downtown who said Cuba pinched her buttocks in 2018 after making a sexually suggestive remark to her.

As we reported, Cuba wanted the whole indictment tossed out of court and initially pled not guilty to all 6 counts, but he ended up taking a plea deal.

Prosecutors say Cuba's plea deal calls for him to continue the alcohol and behavior modification treatment he began in 2019 for 6 more months, and he can't have any new arrests.

Frank James, the suspect in the Brooklyn subway shooting, has been taken into custody ... according to law enforcement sources.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... James was arrested in the East Village Wednesday. Clips from the arrest show squads of cop cars surrounding the area as they load him into the back of their vehicle.

As you know, upwards of 30 people were treated for injuries Tuesday after the bloody aftermath in Brooklyn. There were also reports of smoke inhalation ... as the shooter appears to have used a flashbang of some kind to obscure people's vision.

A man named Zack Tahhan, who was working in the area where James was caught, says he recognized the suspect from news reports and called the cops ... who made the arrest.

James' YouTube page has been unearthed over the past 24 hours, and the clips are alarming ... including James going on rants left and right and one video labeled "STOP ONE COMPLETE," where it looks like James says "you oughta die."

He seems quite agitated by the state of affairs in 2022 ... and he invokes violent language to talk about much of it.

Fortunately, no fatalities yet, and none are expected. NYC Mayor Adams called for a national response to gun violence as a result of the shooting. He also said there'd be changes on the city level -- including more officers in the subway.

Another mass shooting in America ... this time a man opened fire in a Brooklyn subway station during rush hour and left a trail of carnage behind.

There were multiple people shot after a man wearing a gas mask, orange construction-type vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt allegedly shot people waiting for the train. There are reports of a possible explosion as well.

Some of the injured were covered in blood ... the scene is ghastly. The platform floors were caked in blood as the injured lay nearby.

It occurred around 8:30 AM ET, at the 36th Street station for the D, N, R lines in Sunset Park at the height of morning rush.

The suspect is still on the loose ... cops swarmed the subway station and are on the hunt for him.

A spokesman for the Fire Dept. of New York confirmed several undetonated devices were found, giving credence to the report there was at least one explosion.

Comedy legend Gilbert Gottfried has died.

In a statement from his family released Tuesday, they announced, "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor."

Gilbert's rep, Glenn Schwartz, tells us he died from a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gilbert's career spans back to the '70s where he was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live." He then became a hit on "The Cosby Show" in the 80s. Gilbert was a standout in "Beverly Hills Cop II" where he played business manager Sidney Bernstein.

Of course, Gilbert did plenty of voicework too, voicing Iago on "Aladdin" and the Aflac Duck in the early 2000s.

Gilbert posted a now heart-wrenching photo of himself with Bob Saget and Louie Anderson shortly after Louie died with the caption, "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

Last time our cameras talked to Gilbert was in NYC in 2017.

Gilbert leaves behind his wife, Dara, who he married in 2007 and his two kids, Lily and Max.

He was 67.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is officially confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court ... making history as the first Black woman ever to hold the position.

Ketanji's confirmation means she will officially replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the highest court. Senate Republicans Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski all joined Democrats in voting to confirm.

Voting was at 53-47 in favor -- Senator Rand Paul was the last to cast his vote.

President Biden nominated Judge Brown Jackson back in February, but during her confirmation hearing she was drilled with questions from Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and others.

Things got emotional for Judge Brown Jackson during the hearing when Senator Cory Booker let her know, as a Black person, how proud he was of her accomplishments and how many obstacles she had to face to get to the position.

As we told you, Justice Brown Jackson is the first African-American woman to be on the court, and the second African-American to join the current Justices. Justice Clarence Thomas is African-American, and currently going through his own drama outside the bench.

Don't say goodbye to your coach just yet, Duke fans -- former Blue Devils legend Jay Williams says there's a real possibility Mike Krzyzewski could return to Durham next season ... after one of his top assistants left the program this week.

Williams started the speculation on ESPN Radio's "Keyshawn, JWill, & Max" ... after news came out that assistant/former player Nolan Smith was going to become associate head coach at Louisville under Kenny Payne.

Williams started by saying how happy he was to see Smith get the opportunity at Louisville ... but brought his attention back to Duke and the massive hole that needs to be filled from a recruiting standpoint.

"And it leads me to think, which I’ve been thinking a lot about since I heard this news (Monday), does Coach K come back for another season?" Williams asked. One more final season?"

Of course, the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Duke, 81-77, on Saturday ... in what was billed as Coach K's final game of his coaching career.

Williams believes Coach K might reconsider handing the keys over to Jon Scheyer now that Smith is gone ... and explains his theory.

"Here’s why I give it a legit chance," Williams said. "If you’re Nolan Smith, and you have a great relationship with all these players, you’re in the (same) conference. You’re at Louisville."

"You’re picking up the phone and [recruiting players from Duke]. It weakens the hold of Duke. If you’re Coach K, how do you strengthen that hold? -- You’re coming back."

The NBA analyst stated that he wasn't speaking on information he heard or knew -- instead, he was speculating on what Coach K MIGHT do.

Kanye West will no longer be performing at Coachella this year -- leaving the festival with an open headliner spot ... and fans without an appearance from Travis Scott.

Sources connected to Ye tell us he's decided to pull the plug on his performance at the 2-weekend-long event in Indio, CA -- which starts next weekend. What's more, we're told Travis Scott was supposed to join Kanye onstage ... so that's now out of the question as well.

It's currently unclear exactly why Kanye's backing out -- but he's clearly had a tough few months -- lashing out at Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah, among others on social media.

TMZ broke the story, his racist attack on Trevor got him suspended from Instagram for 24 hours last month ... he hasn't posted anything since.

Kanye's cancelation leaves Coachella with an obvious hole. Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Swedish House Mafia are still headlining ... but there's clearly a lack of diversity.

Of course, Travis was supposed to headline the festival back in 2020 before it was canceled because of COVID. Travis was then booked for 2022, but Coachella organizers pulled the plug on the idea after the tragedy at Astroworld. Fans demanded he come back with a petition, to no avail.

Travis has not performed in a large capacity since.

Eric Church is extending an olive branch to thousands of pissed off fans for scrapping a concert to attend the North Carolina vs. Duke game ... by scheduling a completely FREE show later this year for anyone impacted by the cancelation.

The MASSIVE Tar Heels fan came under fire earlier this week for bailing on his upcoming gig ... all so he could watch his beloved team play in the Final Four against their hated rivals and coach Mike Krzyzewski (for the very last time).

Fans were super upset, though, with many storming his Facebook page to blast him for the decision.

The country star released a statement regarding the controversy on Friday ... saying he's grateful for the opportunity to check out the game -- and promises to make up for it.

"Thank you San Antonio for letting me take my family to this game," Church said. "It took a minute to figure out how and when I could properly express my thanks."

Church says he'll return to Texas in September for a "one of a kind" free gig for anyone who bought tix ... in hopes of getting back in good graces with the Church Choir.

Will it work?? We'll see ... but at least EC can now enjoy the game without feeling too guilty.

It's been 12 years since Terrell Owens played in the NFL, but the Hall of Famer is ready to hit the gridiron once again -- this time, with Fan Controlled Football!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed with sources -- 48-year-old T.O. will suit up for the league this season ... joining former Heisman Johnny Manziel, who is returning for his second season.

As we previously reported, Owens has remained confident he could continue to play in the NFL ... telling us in 2021 he was actively pursuing a comeback.

Now, our sources say the legendary receiver will, in fact, be playing this year.

We broke the story -- comedian and social media superstar Druski told us earlier this month he was hoping to get T.O. and fellow ex-NFL superstar Mike Vick to join the league ... and so far, he's 1-for-2.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with T.O.'s participation ... and whether NFL teams will be watching to see if he's still got it.

Games start later this spring ... so, as T.O. would say, getcha popcorn ready.

We reached out to FCF for a comment, but they're not talking.

Chris Rock is locked and loaded for the kickoff of his comedy tour, arriving at the venue in Boston and looking like he's ready for funny business.

We got photos of Chris arriving at the Wilbur Theater in Beantown, looking pretty stoic and clearly knowing ... millions and millions of folks are waiting for him to take the mic and say SOMETHING about that slap.

Chris' "Ego Death Tour" is all the rage ... all 5 nights at the Wilbur are not only sold out ... tickets are being scalped at a king's ransom -- some going for over $1,000.

Chris has not said anything publicly about the incident and has not publicly accepted Will Smith's apology. We know as of Tuesday night the 2 had not spoken, so it doesn't appear Will picked up the phone to privately apologize.

As for whether Chris accepts Will's Instagram mea culpa ... don't count on it. His brother, Tony Rock, has scoffed at Will's apology, and based on everything we know the 2 brothers are in lockstep.

As we reported, there's a lot of smoke that Will's tirade goes way beyond a hair joke. Back in 2016, when the Smith's called for a boycott of the Oscars because of a lack of inclusiveness, they asked Chris to join the boycott, but he declined ... and ever since there's been beef between them. Chris' jokes about Will and Jada at that ceremony further cemented their divide.

Bruce Willis won't be acting for the foreseeable future -- and it's all due to a medical condition he's developed that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for him to communicate.

Bruce's daughter, Rumer Willis, shared the sad news Wednesday ... posting a photo of her dad with a pretty revealing caption about his health: "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities."

Rumer adds, "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

She goes on to explain how this is a really challenging time for the Willis family and that they appreciate the compassion and messages of support. She also says she wanted to be up front about this because they all know how much their dad means to his fans and the public alike.

Rumer finishes with this ... "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn."

Aphasia impacts the ability to comprehend words and/or speak. It can be caused by strokes, tumors or other brain damage -- but Rumer isn't saying what led to Bruce's diagnosis.

While Bruce hasn't been in many mainstream productions lately, he's still been busy ... acting in more than a dozen movies in the last 2 years.