When Ashton Jeanty was young, he was more interested in basketball than soccer. So before he grew into a 5-foot-9 battering ram in cleats, his favorite athlete was LeBron James. The son of a naval officer who traveled the world, Jeanty grew up in Florida while James was with the Miami Heat.
“Seeing (LeBron) overcome all the odds makes me feel like I’ve done the same thing in my career,” Jeanty said.
That’s why Boise State University will forever be the answer to that question. Who is your favorite athlete? — for a generation of Broncos fans.
Jeanty did not win the Heisman Trophy, finishing second to Colorado’s Travis Hunter. But he earned the most points as a Heisman runner-up and had his narrowest margin of loss since 2009. He also won the Maxwell Award (Player of the Year), the Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back) and a unanimous All-American. honor. And Jeanty has another important milestone in his sights.
He enters the College Football Playoff with 2,497 rushing yards this season. That’s 131 yards shy of college football’s official single-season record set by Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders in 1988. Considering Jeanty averaged 192.1 rushing yards per game this season, there was at least a good chance he could rewrite that record in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against Penn State on Dec. 31.
But Jeanty is more than just a Heisman runner-up and a future first-round NFL running back on the verge of record-breaking statistical accomplishments. He could stand above the rest in a Boise State program known for slaying giants and with a rich running back history.
“Ashton Jeanty is a phenomenal player in college football and will be a phenomenal player in the NFL,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “Not just the play on the field, but the culture he brings.”
There are some discrepancies in Sanders’ record. He rushed for 2,628 yards in just 11 games on his way to the 1988 Heisman. Jeanty has already played 13 games. And Sanders’ unofficial record stands at 2,850 yards, including the 222 yards he racked up in the Holiday Bowl before bowl game statistics were officially calculated.
There will be those who disparage Jeanty’s record, but Sanders will not be one of them. Before Boise wins the Mountain West championship, I’ll send out a tweet wishing Jeanty luck.
“My fans can complain, but records are meant to be broken,” Sanders said. “I support you,” he wrote.
Here @AshtonJeanty2 – Good luck tonight.
Fans may complain, but records are meant to be broken, so I support them. I love seeing all of these. @NFL and @NCAA #RB It shows the value of the position. #runtherock pic.twitter.com/bk0NtPbAL0— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) December 6, 2024
Asked about Sanders’ record, Jeanty said, “Breaking a record that’s been around for decades would be like the cherry on top,” especially after falling behind a bit in the Heisman race. But records – achieved or not, competed or not – don’t change what Jeanty has accomplished as Boise State enters its first 12-team playoff as the No. 3 seed in the Group of Five.
The statistics are staggering, as if Paul Bunyan played high school football. Nearly 2,500 rushing yards, an FBS-leading 30 total touchdowns, 7.3 yards per carry, and six games with over 200 rushing yards. His season low was 127 yards against Portland State and he was pulled at halftime. Jeanty single-handedly outscored 115 FBS teams this season. The closest player to him in terms of rushing yards is North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with 1,660. That’s less than the 1,889 yards Jeanty gained after contact. He eclipsed 2,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2019.
“I love watching Ashton play because of his mix of physicality, speed and control.” said Alexander Mattison, a former Boise State player who currently plays in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. “But I got to know him not only as a football player but as a real person. It’s fun to see him get everything he deserves. He loves the game, and if you love the game, the game will love you.”
Boise State has a pedigree of impressive running backs, and Jeanty is set to be the next in a long line of Broncos bell cows to play in the NFL. Jeanty surpassed Cedric Minter as the program’s all-time leading rusher this season and broke several other records that Minter had held since at least 1980. However, the modern tailback streak goes back to Ian Johnson, who famously won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. The Statue of Liberty handoff was followed by Jeremy Avery, Doug Martin, DJ Harper, Jay Ajayi (former single-season record holder), and Jeremy. McNichols, Mathieson, and George Holanyi.
That’s quite a list, and that’s just the running backs. Former quarterback Kellen Moore is the winningest QB in FBS history (50) and the program’s only Heisman finalist (fourth in 2010). He remains a Boise State icon. But after this season, no one can compare to what Jeanty has done on the field or what he has implemented.
deeper
Boise State and Ashton Jeanty: Cinderella in steel-toed boots.
“He is a unanimously elected captain and a member of our leadership committee,” Danielson said. He added that he meets with Jeanty one-on-one every week after committee meetings.
“Every time we have a meeting like that, it’s not about Ashton. He’s asking about the team and the players and how he can help them lead better and have a bigger impact,” Danielson said. “That’s rare. He is different in every way.”
Jeanty is interested in awards and accolades. He didn’t shy away from it, whether rattling off the personal goals he set for himself this season or lamenting his Heisman finish, saying, “I felt like I should have walked away with the award.” One of the reasons he returned to Boise State this season was because he believed he could achieve everything he wanted right where he was.
But Jeanty is also interested in the legacy she will leave behind. That’s why he accepted being the team captain, leader and de facto spokesperson. That’s why he dismissed more lucrative name, image and likeness (NIL) offers to move elsewhere last offseason. That’s why he established the Ashton Jeanty Endowed Scholarship for Football. That was in October, before he broke all records, became a Heisman finalist, promoted the Broncos to the Mountain West title, and got a first-round bye from the CFP. The scholarship raised more than $180,000 toward its $200,000 goal, which will support future Boise State athletes.
“He’s like a movie star,” athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said. “We finally had to get him security so we could cut down the autograph and photo line. “He was such a good kid that we didn’t want to say no to anyone, so it was our responsibility to help him.”
Jeanty is already the most decorated player in program history and puts Boise State in position to compete for a top-level national championship for the first time. He has a chance to set a single-season rushing record that will last for decades.
And none of that will outlast what he meant to Boise State football and the surrounding community.
“Culture is about the people here, just bringing back what Boise State is like and having a positive impact on everyone,” Jeanty said. “People won’t remember the stats or the games. But they will remember how I treated people, how I was while I was here, and the impact it had.”
— athletic‘s Vic Tafur contributed reporting.
(Photo: Loren Orr / Getty Images)
