2025 NFL Draft Spotlight: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is the definition of 'domination’
A game-changer wrapped up in a 5-foot-9, 215-pound body, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has emerged as one of the most dominating playmakers in college football. The Jacksonville native not only has the Heisman Trophy within his grasp, but he is also becoming one of the most fascinating prospects to enter the NFL Draft.
In leading the nation with 1,248 yards on 126 carries, Jeanty is on pace to break the single season record of 2,628 rushing yards set by Barry Sanders. If he does that, NFL teams high in the draft may have to consider taking him high in the 2025 NFL Draft because a player like Jeanty, a running back as dominate as Jeanty has been doesn’t come along that often.
Ashton Jeanty is a dominant force
Speaking of domination, the Boise State running back has rushed for over 100 yards in each game this season. He has done it by showing off a wide range of skills. He’s fast, he’s elusive, he’s powerful and he’s simple dynamic. A player who can take it to the house from anywhere on the field, opposing defenses must load the box just to have a chance to stop him.
With some of the highlight reel runs he has had this season, even when they do that, he finds a way to break their backs.
Simply put, the first man almost never gets Jeanty down which is the same kind of fear Sanders had when he touched the ball in his day. But, Jeanty has more of a powerful force to his game than the legendary running back and he also has a mindset to dominate every time he touches the ball.
“Domination,” Jeanty told ESPN of what he thinks about when he gets the ball. “To dominate whoever’s in front of me, to make them quit. And it doesn’t happen on the 10th run, it doesn’t happen on the second run. It’s usually somewhere around the 15th or 20th run.”
That domination doesn’t always lead to 200-yard rushing games for Jeanty. In the Week 8 victory over UNLV, it was the threat of the Heisman Trophy candidate that helped the team win. With just a 128 rushing yards on 33 attempts, Jeanty was held from having the explosive game he is known to have, but still he showed his force in rushing for a touchdown at the goal line and the offense around him was allowed to shine as Boise State improved their record to 6-1.
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It's that threat from the running back position that is going to make the NFL team that selects him suddenly a very dangerous offense. As for teams that already have that type of offense, a player like Jeanty will make them almost unstoppable.