This ‘vicious’ freshman is set for big Boise State role — even as backup to team’s star

Boise State fans have become accustomed to seeing the ball clutched tightly next to the No. 2 jersey of running back Ashton Jeanty.

But if they blink on Saturday, they might miss that it’s not in the reliable hands of No. 2; instead, No. 26 has possession.

Introducing freshman running back Sire Gaines. Who could bear a striking resemblance to Jeanty when he spells the star running back.

A true freshman, Gaines is listed as 6 feet (a couple of inches taller than Jeanty) and 209 pounds (6 lighter than Jeanty). And he doesn’t run like a freshman, coaches say — just as Jeanty didn’t.

“To play in the backfield here, you’ve got to do all three things,” running backs coach James Montgomery told the Idaho Statesman. “You’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback, you’ve got to be able to run the ball, you’ve got to be able to be a threat in the pass game. And so we feel like he can do all three of those things.”

Simply put, the Boise State backfield is loaded. Despite a promising freshman season from Jambres Dumbar — 335 yards on 62 carries — and the experience and versatility of sixth-year fullback Tyler Crowe, Gaines will be backing up Jeanty this weekend.

Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said Gaines has “earned the right to have a huge freshman year” and will have a “huge role” when Boise State kicks off its 2024 season against Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia, at 2 p.m. Mountain time.

Gaines arrived at Boise State as a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports . He played for Orange Vista High School in California and finished his senior season with 2,079 all-purpose yards, including 1,685 rushing yards on 175 carries.

Will all of that obvious talent transition to the college level? Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter doesn’t seem concerned.

“(Gaines) is a guy that doesn’t run like a freshman, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid of the moment,” Koetter said earlier this week. “He’s not out there fumbling around; he knows what he’s doing.”

While the coaches see a lot of potential in Gaines, there’s still someone big sitting in front of him — a player in the Heisman Trophy conversation who has a school-run website as part of that push.

But Gaines doesn’t see backing up Jeanty, or having a lot of capable players at the position, as an issue.

“If I need to take the load off Ash, I’m going to do it,” Gaines told the Statesman. “So whatever I can do to help the offense, to help this team, I’ll do it.”

Gaines described Jeanty not only as an “NFL-caliber running back,” but also as his “big brother.” He said he’s been learning from Jeanty every day — and added, with a laugh, that occasionally they have been fighting like brothers, too.

Gaines said he’s been picking up tips on Jeanty’s ability to cut explosively and elude the defense.

“He brings the dawg out of me. He brings a chip on my shoulder. He brings the confidence,” Gaines said. “Because even if I do good, he still lets you know what I do wrong; if I do wrong, he’s the first person to be on me. And it brings a sense of urgency to do better.”

Gaines is a back with strength and power, so he’s likely to be part of packages that were similar to the work Jeanty had as a freshman — short yardage and between-the-tackle runs.

But the freshman also calls himself an “honorary lineman” who works to make pass protection one of his best attributes.

Gaines has physicality that he used on both sides of the ball in high school. He had 95 tackles in his career and seven sacks, so he knows a thing or two about getting to the quarterback and what it takes to protect him.

What’s perhaps most exciting for the coaches is Gaines’ transformation since arriving at Boise State. He gained at least 15 pounds to weigh in the neighborhood of 210, as he’s listed on the roster. But he told the Statesman that he recently was right at 215, the same as Jeanty.

“This 215 now is different; it moves differently,” Gaines said with a smile. “It’s real vicious.”

Boise State at Georgia Southern

• When: 2 p.m. MT Saturday

• Where: Paulson Stadium (25,000, Turf), Statesboro, Georgia

• TV: ESPNU (Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia)

• Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

• Records: Boise State was 8-6 last year; Georgia Southern was 6-7.

• Series: This is the first meeting between the two schools.

• Vegas line: Boise State by 13

Weather: 93 degrees, humidity 62%, partly cloudy skies, 9% chance of rain