Ashton Jeanty Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Loren Orr/Getty Images)
School: Boise State
Class: Junior
Position: RB
HT: 5’9
WT: 217 lbs
Background: Ashton Jeanty has become one of the hotter names in college football over the last year, and deservingly so. Jeanty is originally from Jacksonville, Florida, but played football in Texas for Lone Star High School in Frisco. Jeanty was a 4-star running back in the 2022 class, a top 30 running back and a top 50 player in the state of Texas. Jeanty played on both sides of the ball as an edge rusher and running back in high school. He was an all-district honoree on both offense and defense. On top of football, Jeanty also competed in basketball and track & field. Out of high school, Jeanty committed to Boise State over Cal, Kansas, and others.
College: As a freshman for the Broncos, Jeanty appeared in all 14 games, rushing for 821 yards on 156 carries. He was named an All-Mountain West honorable mention. Jeanty completely broke out as a sophomore in 2023. He was a consensus All-American after rushing for 1,347 yards and totaling 19 touchdowns. On top of lighting it up on the field, Jeanty was also an Academic All-American. Jeanty took another step forward in 2024. With an offense that struggled through the air, Jeanty gave them electricity on the ground. He put up numbers that we have not seen since Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State. He was once again a consensus All-American First Team member and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He ran for over 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. His season was so prolific that he helped lead Boise State to the Playoff.
Strengths: Ashton Jeanty is a powerful running back who can take the form of any type of runner imaginable. Jeanty can lower his shoulder and turn into a bruiser, but he can also make defenders miss in open space with elusiveness and agility. Jeanty bounces off tacklers easily without losing any momentum in his run. When being brought down, he consistently falls forward to gain any extra yardage he can. Jeanty is able to keep his legs churning no matter how many defenders are trying to bring him down. He can also cut on a dime to cut the ball back outside and take it to the house. Jeanty accelerates to his top speed in the blink of an eye. As a receiver, Jeanty is dangerous out of the backfield in the screen game and the flats. Being able to pass it to him and let him work with the ball is a dangerous gift for an offense. In pass protection, Jeanty is impressive. He is able to absorb bull rushes from linebackers on his own.
Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Jeanty’s game will be the tread on his tires. He was touching the ball over 30 times per game consistently. He is only a junior, but he has still had a high usage percentage. While Jeanty can play that physical style, he is a bit smaller than the typical bruiser in the NFL. It will be interesting to see how that portion of his game will hold up at the next level.
Conclusion: Ashton Jeanty is a certified NFL star as he was the entire Boise State offense. He single-handedly willed the Broncos to a playoff appearance. He is a dynamic player who can play multiple different styles of play. Jeanty will be able to be a workhorse for an NFL offense as he has proved he can handle a heavy workload. He will not be asked to touch the ball as many times as he did in college, so he should be able to hold up across a longer schedule.
Scheme Fit: Zone Rushing Offense
Ideal Role: Workhorse RB
Best Team Fits: DAL, LAC, DEN
Player Comparison: Saquon Barkley
Player Grade: Round 1 (94.6)
