Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has left a path of bewildered defenders in his wake during what is setting up to be a historic campaign.
Jeanty is the first college football player in the past 20 years with at least 1,500 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns through eight games, and he leads the nation with 190.6 rushing yards per contest.
He also leads the country with 1,525 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns and has No. 12-ranked Boise State poised to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. He also has a real shot at becoming the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since former Alabama star Derrick Henry in 2015.
What Jeanty has done is even more impressive given the fact that he was a part-time running back just four years ago.
Suiting up for Texas powerhouse Lone Star High School, Jeanty didn’t focus all of his energy on the running back position until his senior season. Playing behind current Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. had a lot to do with that. It’s also part of what allowed Boise State to land a player that proved to be a diamond in the rough.
Jeanty flew under the radar of many of college football’s top programs for much of his high school career. Boise State was one of the first to offer him a scholarship, and Jeanty said the program made him feel like family right away.
“They were always calling and checking up on me and wanting to get to know my family,” Jeanty said. “You could tell they cared about me as a person, not just as a football player.”
Jeanty has a chance to pad his Heisman resume and keep the Broncos in the CFP race in front of a national TV audience when Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) hosts Nevada at 8 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX. The Broncos are a 24.5-point college football betting odds favorite, and the Over/Under is 60.5 points.
‘A Whole Other Level of Versatility’
At Lone Star, Jeanty lined up everywhere from defensive end and cornerback to wide receiver, running back, and wildcat quarterback.
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound native of Jacksonville, Florida, said he took something away from time spent at every position, but his experience at wide receiver helped mold him into the player he is today.
“Just being able to run routes and understand pass concepts, it just takes you to a whole other level of versatility,” he said.
Jeanty was a budding star at receiver as a junior at Lone Star, hauling in 55 passes for 816 yards and seven touchdowns, according to maxpreps.com.
He was unstoppable with the ball in his hands as a senior. He caught 41 passes for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns and racked up 1,835 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground.
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Jeanty’s pass-catching abilities haven’t been on display as much this season at Boise State as they were last year when he was No. 2 on the team with 43 catches for 569 yards and tied for a team high with five touchdown receptions. This year, he’s fifth on the Broncos with 14 catches and sixth with 140 receiving yards, and he has one touchdown catch.
Boise State hasn’t needed Jeanty to shine in the passing game this year because he has been such a nightmare threat to score every time he touches the ball. That could change as more teams commit to stopping him by any means necessary, but Jeanty said bring it on. He just wants the ball.
“When I have the ball in my hands, that’s when I’m me,” he said. “I just go into a different mode, and I feel like no one can stop me.”
Jeanty said there was never a question about which position he would play in college. He calls himself a natural at running back.
“I play physical, I play hard, and I can make a guy miss,” he said. “Those are the tangibles every great running back has.”
Jeanty’s rare combination of size, power, and elusiveness make him a natural at running back, Boise State running backs coach James Montgomery pointed out.
“Power, vision, speed, he’s got all the tools,” Montgomery said. “There is always room for improvement, but it’s just about making the most of every opportunity when the ball is in your hands, whether you’re running it or catching it.”
