Ashton Jeanty’s second carry of the season went for a 77-yard touchdown at Georgia Southern, and the Boise State running back capped the moment by striking the iconic Heisman Trophy pose.
Jeanty said Thursday that the celebration wasn’t planned, but it turns out it was prophetic. He’s in New York this weekend for the College Football Awards show and the Heisman presentation, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN.
“In the moment, I felt like that play right there got my Heisman Trophy campaign started,” Jeanty said during a press conference in New York. “Even through all the work in the offseason, literally being focused on what’s important, I knew all of this would happen.”
He is the first Heisman finalist from Boise State since former quarterback Kellen Moore finished No. 4 in the voting in 2010.
Jeanty said he has always believed winning the Heisman was a possibility, even when he was at Lone Star High School in Texas, but he also knew he had to prove he deserves it on the field.
“It wasn’t just going to happen overnight, but all these goals and everything that’s happening right now, I’ve always had my mind on it,” said Jeanty, who became the first Boise State player to win the Doak Walker Award on Thursday. “But I knew I couldn’t look too far ahead.”
Jeanty certainly proved it on the field this year. He leads the country with 2,497 rushing yards, and he’s tied for No. 1 with 29 rushing touchdowns. He has re-written Boise State’s record books, claiming career and single-season rushing yardage records, among others, and he’s a big reason the Broncos are a top seed in the College Football Playoff.
He needs just 131 yards to break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, and on Thursday, Jeanty won the Maxwell Award, which goes to the best overall player in the country.
As much as he wants to hoist the Heisman Trophy, Jeanty also knows how special this season has been for his team and how special it would be if the Broncos earned a playoff win.
“We have just come together in such a special way, so it’s amazing to see that we’re able to make history,” he said.
Jeanty rebuffed the transfer portal and several lucrative Name, Image, and Likeness offers from other programs after last season and decided to stay at Boise State. He called it one of the best decisions he’s ever made, and he knows it could pay off in a major way in the coming weeks.
“This is exactly why I stayed at Boise State, because I knew everything I wanted to accomplish was possible at Boise State,” Jeanty said Thursday on ESPN.
Who Else Is In The Running For The Heisman?
Jeanty has some stiff competition for the Heisman, especially from Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who starred on both sides of the ball this season. He ranks No. 6 in the country with 1,152 receiving yards and No. 2 with 14 touchdown catches. He also snagged a team-high four interceptions as a cornerback.
On Thursday, Hunter won the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the best defensive player in the country. He also won the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top wide receiver, and he was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami quarterback Cam Ward are also in New York for the Heisman ceremony.
Ward leads the country with 36 touchdown passes, and he ranks No. 2 in the nation with 4,123 passing yards. On Thursday, he won the Davey O’Brien Award, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback.
Gabriel ranks No. 8 with 3,558 passing yards, and he’s tied for No. 8 with 28 touchdown passes.
Other Group of Five Award Winners
For the second year in a row, the Lou Groza Award went to a Group of Five player.
Kenneth Almendares of Louisiana earned the award this year. He’s made 27 of 29 field goal attempts in 2024. By making 93.1% of his field goals, he leads the FBS in field goal percentage among kickers with at least 20 attempts. He was also 46 of 47 on extra points.
Graham Nicholson from Miami (Ohio) won it last year.
Army head coach Jeff Monken was awarded the inaugural Buddy Teevens Award, which goes to a coach who’s been an innovator in growing and improving college football. The Black Knights won the AAC Championship this season in their first year in the conference.
