The CFB RB putting up 200 Yards Per Game

Through the first two months of the 2024 college football season, a new player has emerged as the face of college football. This player is turning heads by accomplishing things that no college football player has. However, this player isn’t a classic Power 5 star who plays for one of the top schools in the nation: this player is Boise State’s running back, Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty has put the Boise State Broncos on his back and has them in position to make a run at a Mountain West Conference championship and a spot on the college football playoffs. Jeanty wasn’t exactly a nobody, but nobody expected this production level from the undersized kid. Let’s take a deeper look at who Ashton Jeanty is and his journey to becoming one of the best, if not the best player in college football.

Who is Ashton Jeanty?:

Ashton Jeanty was born on December 2nd, 2003, in the city of Jacksonville. However, Jeanty went out to Texas to attend Lone Star High School in Frisco. In 23 games over two seasons with Lone Star’s varsity team, Jeanty put up an unnatural stat line: 2,218 rushing yards, 1,626 receiving yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, and 17 receiving touchdowns. Jeanty’s stats and production made him one of the top running backs in the nation. However, there was one issue. While the average size of a Power 5 running back is 6 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds, Jeanty was measured at 5-foot-9 and weighed in at 195 pounds. As good as he was, being undersized is a significant disadvantage in football, especially at the running back position. As a result, Jeanty only got 1 Power 5 offer. Jeanty’s decision came down to attending the University of California at the bottom of the depth chart or going to Boise State, a high-end none Power 5 school, and playing almost immediately. After a long process, less than two months before the start of the season, Ashton Jeanty enrolled at Boise State. Credit must be given to head coach Andy Avalos for finding a star despite him not being ranked as a top 1,000 recruit.

Already as a true freshman, Jeanty got a decent-sized roll and made an impact. In 2022, Jeanty received 156 carried and 20 targets and made the most of it. He rushed for 821 yards and 7 touchdowns and added 155 yards through the air. Despite being only 19 years of age, Jeanty had the 2nd-most scrimmage yards for the 2022 Boise State Broncos. Coach Avalos understood that he had a star in Jenaty and made sure to put the ball in Jeanty’s hands as frequently as possible in 2023. In his sophomore year, Jeanty led the Broncos in carries and was 2nd in receptions. It paid off as he ran for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 569 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air. In total, on his way to leading Boise State to a conference title, Jeanty had 1,916 scrimmage yards and 19 scrimmage touchdowns. 

Nonetheless, despite leading the Mountain West Conference in both rushing and scrimmage yards, Jeanty wasn’t on the NFL radar. Almost all of the running backs who make the NFL come from Power 5 schools, and the size of an average NFL running back is slightly over 6 feet tall and weighs 220 pounds. In accordance, when an NFL scout sees or hears of a non-Power 5 back who is 5-foot-9 and under 200 pounds, they don’t pay much attention. Jeanty understood that to catch the NFL’s attention he would have to go viral. He decided to return to Boise State for another season, with intentions of doing exactly that. 

The Glory:

Through the first 6 weeks of Jeanty’s “prove it” season, he’s done more than prove it. In Boise State’s first game of the season, Ashton Jeanty announced that he is a problem. Jeanty put up 271 yards and 6 touchdowns on Georgia Southern’s defense, on his way to leading Boise State to a 56-45 win. The following week, the Broncos faced the Oregon Ducks of the Big Ten conference. Facing one of the top teams in the Big Ten was a chance for Jeanty to prove that he can be dominant against Power 5 schools as well. Jeanty toasted Oregon’s defense for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his defense let him down, and the Ducks outdueled the Broncos 37-34. In Boise State’s week 3 home opener, they faced Portland State. Since Portland State isn’t good at all, Jeanty knew that he would be taken out of the game the moment Boise State took a commanding lead. Nevertheless, on only 11 carries, Jeanty was able to put up 127 yards. Jeanty didn’t participate in the second half, as Boise State went on to win at a final score of 56-14. At this point, Jeanty had begun to attract national attention, and all eyes were on Boise State’s week 4 matchup against Washington State. Jeanty showed the viewers what they wanted to see by putting up a masterclass. On his way to leading the Broncos to a 45-24 win, Ashton Jeanty torched the Cougars’ defense for  266 yards and 4 touchdowns. In week 5, Boise State faced Utah State, one of the bottom Division 1 teams in the nation. Since the game wasn’t expected to be much of a challenge, much like the home opener, Jeanty knew he would only get limited opportunities. Despite only touching the ball 13 times, Jeanty put up 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, that’s 14.3 yards per carry. This past weekend, against Hawaii, Jeanty put up 237 yards and scored a touchdown both on the ground and through the air. 

Through 6 games, despite leaving at halftime twice, Jeanty is averaging 214.5 scrimmage yards and 3 scrimmage touchdowns per game. Even in a non-Power 5 conference, that is extremely impressive! Over each of the past two seasons, Boise State played 14 games. If they qualify to do so again this season, Jeanty will be on pace to become the first player in college football history to put up over 3,000 scrimmage yards in a season. It’s laughable to look back and remember that Jeanty wasn’t seen as a top 1,000 recruit in his class, not even a top 100 recruit in his state. In addition, courtesy of Jeanty’s dominance, Boise State was ranked 17th on the latest AP Poll. Since the AP Polls started in 2002, Boise State has never finished a season higher than 19th on the AP Polls. This is the perfect year for Jeanty and the Broncos’ breakout because this season, for the first time, there will be an additional 8 teams in the college football playoffs. It used to be impossible for non-Power 5 schools to compete for one of the 4 spots in the playoffs, but not anymore. At 5W-1L, the Boise State Broncos currently stand at the top of the Mountain West Conference and have a legitimate shot at qualifying.

Meanwhile, after Jeanty wasn’t on the NFL’s radar a few months ago, this situation is quite different today. Recent mock drafts from Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated expect Jeanty to be a first-round pick. Not only will he be a non-Power 5 running back drafted, but he’s also expected to be drafted before any Power-5 running back. Everywhere he’s gone, Ashton Jeanty’s lack of size has been thrown in his face, and each time he has let his performance on the field speak for itself and prove that it doesn’t matter. We’re witnessing one of the most successful underdog stories of all time and it’s nowhere near over. I believe that the 5-foot-9, 195-pound, Ashton Jeanty will continue to dominate college football this season and go on to have a successful career in the NFL, and I cannot wait to watch!