Ashton Jeanty has been one of the surprises of the college football season. The Boise State Broncos running back has recorded 1,248 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 9.9 yards per carry over six games.
He is currently on pace for almost 2,500 rushing yards and 35-plus touchdowns in the regular season. For comparison, former Oklahoma State Cowboys star Barry Sanders is often regarded as having the best season for a running back in college football history. In his Heisman Trophy-winning 1988 season, Sanders finished with 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
This season, Jeanty is rapidly climbing NFL draft boards. According to the latest CBS Sports mock draft, he is projected to go No. 16 to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that could benefit from Jeanty’s skills to enhance their league-worst running game.
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) gets past Hawaii Rainbow Warriors defensive back Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen (29) for a touchdown.
© Marco Garcia-Imagn Images
The Cowboys haven’t found success on the ground with Rico Dowdle (246 yards) or three-time Pro Bowler Ezekiel Elliott (115 yards).
The mock draft suggests that Jeanty is projected to be the first running back selected and the only one picked in the first round.
The value of the running back position has declined in recent years. Last season, no running backs were drafted in the first round. In 2023, Bijan Robinson from the Texas Longhorns and Jahmyr Gibbs from the Alabama Crimson Tide were the only first-round picks.
Before thinking about the draft, Jeanty aims to continue his impressive season and compete for the Heisman Trophy. He would be the first running back to win the award since Derrick Henry of Alabama in 2015.
