Ashton Jeanty (/ˈɛnti/ JEN-tee; born December 2, 2003) is an American football running back for the Boise State Broncos.

Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty in 2023
Boise State Broncos – No. 2
PositionRunning back
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born: (2003-12-02) December 2, 2003 (age 20)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight216 lb (98 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High schoolNaples (Gricignano di Aversa, Italy; 2018)
Lone Star (Frisco, Texas; 2019–2021)
Career highlights and awards
  • MW Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
  • First-team All-MW (2023)

Early life

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Jeanty was born on December 2, 2003, in Jacksonville, Florida.[1][2] The son of a U.S. Navy chief petty officer, he first played football in Italy at Naples Middle/High School, a school for military dependents near Naples. In his first season of football as a high school freshman (the middle school component had no tackle football team), he was initially placed at quarterback before being moved to running back after two games. Playing against teams from other base schools throughout Europe, Jeanty ran for over 1,200 yards and scored 21 touchdowns in the team's six-game season.[3]

After that season, Jeanty told his parents that he wanted to return to the U.S. to play high school football.[3] He eventually attended Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas, where he rushed for 1,843 yards with 41 total touchdowns as a senior.[4] He committed to Boise State University to play college football.[5]

College career

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2022 season

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As a true freshman at Boise State in 2022, Jeanty split playing time with George Holani. He played in all 14 games with two starts and finished the year with 821 yards on 156 carries with seven touchdowns.[6][7] In the 2022 Frisco Bowl, he rushed for 178 yards with a touchdown.[8]

2023 season

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Jeanty returned to Boise State in 2023 [9] and again shared duties with Holani. During that season, Jeanty led the team in rushing yards with 1,347 and 14 touchdowns. He also had 569 receiving yards, the second highest on the team and the most of any running back in the nation,[10] and 5 receiving touchdowns. He was second in the nation in yards from scrimmage and was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.[11]

2024 season

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In the 2024 season-opening game against Georgia Southern, Jeanty rushed for 267 yards, breaking a 46-year-old single-game record for Boise State,[12] and 6 touchdowns, which tied the Paulson Stadium record and the Mountain West record. His rushing performance was the best of any FBS rusher during Week 1.

Jeanty is said to be the top running back prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft and a Heisman Trophy candidate.[13]

College statistics

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Boise State Broncos
Season Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yards Avg TD Rec Yards Avg TD
2022 14 2 156 821 5.3 7 14 155 11.1 0
2023 12 12 220 1,347 6.1 14 43 569 13.2 5
2024 11 11 275 2,062 7.5 27 18 102 5.7 1
Career 37 25 651 4,230 6.5 48 75 826 11.0 6

References

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  1. ^ Riley, Gavin (August 6, 2024). "Ashton Jeanty took an unconventional path to college football. Now, he's about to take it by storm". www.gavinriley.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Kassim, Ehsan (September 21, 2024). "Who is Ashton Jeanty? What to know of Boise State football's Hesiman hopeful running back". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Uggetti, Paolo (October 25, 2024). "Boise State's Ashton Jeanty has turned the ground game into a blockbuster". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Riddle, Greg (November 4, 2021). "How Frisco Lone Star's Ashton Jeanty could stand alongside Texas high school football legends". Dallas News. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  5. ^ Riddle, Greg (September 14, 2021). "Frisco Lone Star three-star running back/receiver Ashton Jeanty commits to Boise State". Dallas News. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  6. ^ From Italy to Idaho, freshman Ashton Jeanty might be the next great BSU running back
  7. ^ Can Ashton Jeanty surpass George Holani as RB1?
  8. ^ Boise State freshman sets Frisco Bowl record as Broncos rally to beat Mean Green
  9. ^ Roberts, Rachel (September 15, 2023). "Powered by 'borderline surreal' moves, Boise State running back among nation's leaders". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ [3],
  13. ^ Miller, Natalie (September 29, 2024). "RB Ashton Jeanty pushing for a first-round draft grade and a Heisman trophy". The Draft Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
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