It has been a remarkable journey for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty , who is considered the early favorite to be the first running back off the board for the 2025 NFL Draft in April. At 5 '8 ¼” and 217, Jeanty is a tremendous talent who is impactful in both the run and passing game. He finished the 2023 season with 1,347 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while also hauling in 43 receptions for 569 yards and five more scores.
Everyone knows who the best player on the Boise State offense is. No. 2 firmly has a target on his back, and that should have included Georgia Southern in their season opener. Despite knowing that Jeanty is the engine of the offensive attack, he was still able to put in a historical performance, rushing for 267 yards and six touchdowns. Jeanty did that on only 20 carries, averaging 13.4 yards per carry.
That performance was insane, and honestly, the film was even better. If you thought Jeanty was the top running back in the 2025 class heading into the weekend, you are feeling great about that analysis. If you didn’t, then beginning to reconsider might be a wise decision.
Eye in the sky
While Jeanty isn’t a burner in terms of long speed, he is very explosive. The Texas native gets up to his top speed very quickly, getting vertical in a hurry. Once he does find space, Jeanty showcases some insane contact balance.
On his level, Jeanty is a man amongst boys. The amount of tackles he breaks is pretty incredible to watch. His balance is tremendous, playing with a low center of gravity and an incredible talent to create hidden yardage. It’s a sight to see.
One of the more underrated aspects of Jeanty’s game is his vision. At all three levels, Jeanty has a great feel for finding space. Once he finds that space, he has unreal body control and short area ability to weave through traffic.
When he gets into the second and third levels, it appears that Jeanty almost toys with defenders. He can break tackles, but also makes defenders miss with his short area explosiveness and creativity. Jeanty is special with being able to create explosive plays, and he does it in different ways.
When the offensive line gives Jeanty space, it almost looks too easy. When there is easy space, he is more than explosive enough to find it. He has a runway on this carry, and once again is able to break a ton of tackles. Whether the space is manufactured or limited, Jeanty has the goods.
Early predictions
Jeanty is the only running back who looks worthy of a first round selection right now. His ability as a runner is impressive, boasting the vision, contact balance, and explosiveness to be efficient and create some big plays. His ability as a pass catcher is the differentiator, offering three-down upside on the next level.
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