Ashton Jeanty is putting up ridiculous numbers, and there's still room for more

2Y84RP3 Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs with the ball against Washington State in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won 45-25. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)

On pace for historic rushing numbers: Jeanty is on pace to break every major single-season college rushing record.

Best receiving back in the country and hasn’t shown it yet: Jeanty led all FBS running backs in PFF receiving grade and yards last year but hasn’t done much on that end this season.

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“2,500 all-purpose yards, 20-plus touchdowns and I’m going to be in New York for the Heisman [Trophy].”

Those were the lofty expectations that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty set for himself back in March during PFF's exclusive interview with him.

Based on the first four games of the season, he may have been selling himself short. Jeanty’s 845 rushing yards are 160 more than any other player in college football, while his 13 rushing touchdowns clear the field by three. He owns the fourth-best Heisman odds (+1000), according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The only non-Power Five player to take home the stiff-arm trophy since the 1960s was BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990.

Jeanty is on pace for a record-shattering season, which is even more impressive when considering two of his four games came against then-unbeaten Power Five schools in Oregon and Washington State.

Ashton Jeanty’s Historic Pace in 2024
Stat Ashton Jeanty’s 12-Game Pace Single-Season Record
Rushing Yards 2,535 2,628 (Barry Sanders, 1988)
Rushing Touchdowns 39 37 (Barry Sanders, 1988)
Rushing Grade 97.8 96.2* (Blake Corum, 2022)
Yards After Contact 1,761 1,355* (Jonathan Taylor, 2017)
Forced Missed Tackles 132 104* (Bijan Robinson, 2022)

*Since PFF began charting college football in 2014

Keep in mind, that’s only Jeanty’s current pace for the rest of the regular season. He could put up even gaudier stats if Boise State plays in the Mountain West Championship Game or the College Football Playoff, something that’s very possible, considering the Broncos are currently the highest-ranked Group of Five team (No. 21).

Perhaps unbelievably, Jeanty has yet to show off arguably his best trait: his receiving ability. In high school, Jeanty played mostly wide receiver before switching to running back full-time as a senior. That pass-catching ability translated to the college game, helping Jeanty rack up 578 receiving yards as a sophomore — 95 more than any other FBS running back. His 91.6 PFF receiving grade that season was 6.5 points higher than the next closest tailback. So far this year, Jeanty has only six catches for 19 yards on 11 targets.

Ashton Jeanty's Career Receiving Numbers
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Jeanty entered the season as the best receiving back in college football, and now he’s clearly the best rusher in college football. All of that combined makes him a top-10 prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft big board, a rarity nowadays for running backs. He’s drawn comparisons to the likes of Alvin Kamara and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson.

Jeanty is in the midst of a historic season on the ground and looks every bit like a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, just as he predicted seven months ago.

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