Some have labeled Ashton Jeanty as a “generational” player in the running back position. Coming off a record-breaking season for the Boise State Broncos, Jeanty has thrown his name into the NFL Draft pool hoping to be selected. Given what he’s accomplished throughout his college career, I’d say that it’s a guarantee.
Height: 5 ft – 9 in
Weight: 215 lb
Age: 21
Position: Running Back
College: Boise State
Draft Eligibility: Declared
College Career Summary:
Jeanty started playing straight away as a true freshman for Boise State. He split most of his time alongside George Holani, but still appeared in 14 games, getting two starts under his belt. He rushed for 821 yards and scored seven touchdowns, with his most important outing coming during the Frisco Bowl. A game that saw him rip off 178 yards and a touchdown. In his sophomore campaign, he stuck around Boise State despite sharing opportunities with Holani. His improvement was apparent though, as he ran for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns on top of bringing in 569 receiving yards. Speaking of his receiving numbers, it was the second-highest total on the entire squad and the most for any other player in his position. This helped him become the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. Then, we get to 2024, when he plastered his name across the college football landscape. He broke a 46-year-old record for Boise State, rushing for 267 yards in the season opener. He also scored six touchdowns in the process, tying another record. He led the FBS in yards from scrimmage and rushing yards by the time the season came to a close, not to mention that he also led in rushing touchdowns and total scoring. With his college career behind him, he’s been able to secure himself the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, and a Heisman nomination. Plus, he’s been selected to the first-team All-American squad and was a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
2024 Season
Games Played: 14
Yards: 2,601 rushing, 138 receiving
Touchdowns: 29 rushing, one receiving
Career Stats
- 750 rush attempts
- 4,769 rushing yards
- 56 total touchdowns
- 40 games played
Passing/Rushing/Receiving/Defensive Metrics
- 4 career yards per carry
- 8 receiving yards per game for his career
- 80 receptions for 862 yards
Strengths:
- Elite Balance Off Contact
- Patient Runner
- Solid Burst And Acceleration
- Stellar Lateral Explosiveness
- Momentum Picks Up Quickly
Weaknesses:
- Lack Of A Next Gear In The Open Field
- Pass Protection Needs Work
- Consistently Attempts To Avoid Contact, Should Absorb Some As Well
- Gets Caught Looking For A Big Play By Bouncing Outside On An Inside Run
High Pressure Situations/Clutch Gene:
Jeanty had his most recent high-pressure situation in the college football playoffs this season. Boise State competed against Penn State, losing 31-14 in the process. Jeanty had 30 rushes for 104 scoreless yards, with two fumbles and one of them being lost. It wasn’t a great showing, though it should be noted that Penn State dedicated all of its resources to shutting him down. In 2023, he competed in the Starco Brands LA Bowl, and his team lost 35-22 against UCLA, with Jeanty rushing 17 times for 85 scoreless yards. That same season, he competed in the Mountain West Championship, a game that his team won 44-20, while he rushed 21 times for 153 yards and a touchdown. And of course, in 2022, he played in the aforementioned Frisco Bowl. He rushed 28 times for 178 yards and a touchdown during a victory against UNT 35-32. He played in the Mountain West Championship game as well but had just seven carries for 32 yards in a 28-16 loss.
NFL Projection And Fantasy Relevance:
It is incredibly difficult to state that Ashton Jeanty isn’t the best running back in this upcoming rookie class. With everything that we’ve seen from him in this past year, he has got to be the top-ranked player at the position, with the way that he’s racked up huge numbers despite opposing defenses stacking the box routinely. Now, does this mean that he’s going to be the number one overall draft pick? Probably not. However, I do find it hard to believe that he’ll slip outside of the top 10, simply due to the immense amount of potential he already boasts. Many teams will want to secure themselves a player of this caliber by drafting off the best available rather than team needs. What does this mean for any type of fantasy relevance? That’s a good question because it means he can be the best incoming rookie in the class. Running backs are getting harder to come by in fantasy football, and in any type of dynasty league, it is tremendously important to have that position squared away. Jeanty coming into the NFL this season provides many of you with an opportunity to get a long-term starter at the position who can put up unreal numbers. This opportunity doesn’t come around often. One potential great fit would be alongside the Dallas Cowboys, a team that didn’t do great this season and desperately needs a running back.
There might be some small concerns about his lack of a next gear when running in the open field, or the fact that he might get too carried away looking for a big play rather than taking what’s in front of him. However, none of that is going to affect his draft stock too much, and it shouldn’t force you to change your mind on him. Jeanty has all the tools necessary to be a generational running back, and he’s got the attitude that teams are looking for off the field as well considering his work ethic. I don’t have much concern over his ability to thrive at the next level and believe that he can be a major contributor on almost every single team, making it hard to imagine that he’ll get passed up consistently early on in the first round. As for fantasy, he is going to be a game-changing weapon that everybody will want to get their hands on.