Ashton Jeanty Has Become Face Of College Football

Every year, college football gives us big moments where new stars are born, great players establish themselves, and legacies are formed under the lights. After watching Georgia dispatch Texas in a game where Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers had the opportunity to have that big moment, I think we were all left a little flat. 

This is one of the most wide-open college football seasons recently. The quarterback class isn’t grabbing hold of headlines, pass rushers have “disappointed,” and the star power is lacking from this college football season. But through it all, one player stands above the rest.

Ashton Jeanty.

The Boise State running back has been grabbing the attention of everyone all season long with his team-carrying performances week after week. His lowest rushing total on the season is 127 yards in a win over Portland State, a game Boise State won 56-14. Jeanty has rushed for more than 180 yards in every other game this season and more than 200 yards in three of his six games.

After his breakout campaign in 2023 where Jeanty rushed for 1347 yards and 14 touchdowns, he’s upped his game this season. Coming into the week, the graphic above shows you how insane he’s been this season, nearly eclipsing his total from last year already—and he’s added 17 rushing scores to go along with it. The stats are ridiculous enough, and them alone would be sufficient to bring eyes to Jeanty and Boise State’s offense, but the talent with him is natural. He’s been the talk of college football, having the best collegiate season since Barry Sanders set the rushing record in 1988 with 2,628 yards at Oklahoma State. Jeanty averages 9.9 yards per attempt—nearly a first down happens every time he’s handed the football. It’s absurd. How does he handle a muddy backfield, though?

One of the more underappreciated aspects of his game is how calmly he operates with traffic in the backfield. He takes the handoff while altering his rushing path before getting ahold of the ball due to immediate pressure from No. 55 of Oregon. As he jumps to his right, another defender is right in his path, and he cuts back to the left and upfield. He turned what could have easily been a loss on the play into a positive gain.

Every positive outcome in the face of a negative one is a massive advantage for an offense and can make a big difference in the result of a single drive. Jeanty has the vision, contact balance, feel for the position, and big-play ability that can drive defenses crazy and has to this point. No team has been able to solve the riddle of Ashton Jeanty. 

He’s lightning in a bottle behind this offensive line and taking advantage of the creases he’s been given. If you don’t wrap up, hell, even if you do, you could look at the back of Jeanty’s jersey from the ground, running away from you to the end zone. Only Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson is within 200 yards of Jeanty on the season, and Iowa has played an extra game. Appreciating Jeanty’s talent and season is essential, but let’s look at this in a grander scheme. 

The NFL has devalued the running back position, but exceptional talents such as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were drafted in the first round. Jeanty is one of the best players in the 2025 draft class, gleaming with running back talent. Will this class signal a slight shift in running back value? NFL teams are finding more success on the ground as defenses got lighter to better defend against the uptick in passing and receiving talent that swept across the league and went to more two-high safety looks. Here’s a look at the number of NFL running backs that have averaged more than five yards a carry each year since 2018 via Next Gen Stats.

2018: 8

2019: 5

2020: 6

2021: 6

2022: 4

2023: 3

2024: 12

One stat doesn’t tell the story, and it’s still early in the 2024 season, but there does seem to be more urgency to have a successful and efficient run game across the league this year. The timing of Jeanty’s dominance is ripe for taking advantage of this moment in NFL history, especially with a down quarterback and wide receiver class. He’s shined in every game this season, building the highlight reel with big plays, broken tackles, make-you-miss moments, and touchdown after touchdown like this.

The numbers will reach atmospheric heights as the season progresses, and he’s worthy of every accolade he attains. The Heisman Trophy is well within his sights with the pace he’s set for himself, and he could be the face of a dramatic shift in draft value for 2025. He’s on a historic run in college football, a front-runner for the Heisman, and the face of a deep and talented running back class. No player in college football has taken their opportunity by the horns more dramatically than Jeanty. 

Will he change the landscape of the NFL and re-usher in a time of smashmouth football where running backs reign supreme again? Unlikely. However, we are often reminded of how cyclical the NFL is, and while the time of the quarterback has changed the game forever, teams will be clamoring to add Jeanty to their offense come draft day. Running the damn ball is back, and Jeanty is the face of college football.