There’s no bigger individual story in the college football world right now than that of Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State running back is captivating the nation on a week-to-week basis with dominant performances. Jeanty enters Friday’s game at UNLV, a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS Sports Network, as the Week 9 FBS rushing leader with 17 touchdowns and 1,248 yards. Jeanty’s offer list when he starred at Frisco (Texas) Lone Star mostly consisted of service academies and Ivy League offers, with a few Group of Five and Power Four programs mixed in.
He chose Boise State, where he’s been a star over the past two years, and this season has been one for the record books. Jeanty has run for more than 150 yards in five of his six games. His season low saw him run for 127 yards on 11 carries, but his 192 yard, three-touchdown effort against Oregon vaulted him into the national conversation.
More than his on-field production, fans have fixated on the menacing way that Jeanty stands in the backfield before the snap. While most backs are slightly bent with their hands on their knees, Jeanty stands straight up with his arms at his sides.
Lone Star coach Jeff Rayburn isn’t sure where Jeanty’s stance came from. But given the results, Rayburn wouldn’t change a thing.
“No, he didn’t stand like that,” Rayburn told 247Sports. “I’m not sure what the purpose is for him doing it. But when the ball is in his hands, great things happen. He can stand however he wants. He can stand on his head, for all I care, the way he’s running the ball right now.”
Rayburn has had his share of former players star at the next level. Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims is one of the more notable players coached by Rayburn at Lone Star, along with Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and New Orleans Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford. Jeanty didn’t get the attention that those players did, but Rayburn sees him earning his success through his work ethic.
“I’m just extremely proud,” Rayburn said. “Just to watch him and see the success he’s had there. I think it’s warranted because he’s put in the work and he’s obviously such a talented kid. It’s also kind of mind-blowing to see what he’s doing at that level and being so dominant.
“It looks like he’s doing the same things he was doing in high school. He’s bigger, stronger and faster. People can’t tackle him and people can’t catch him. It’s awesome to see a kid who has worked so hard to have the opportunity for big-time success in college football.”
Lone Star isn’t a secret to college football recruiters. The program in the Dallas-Fort Worth area sees plenty of recruiting traffic through the year.
How did Jeanty fly under the radar? His initial transition to Lone Star was from Italy, where he played in a league on a military base as his father served. When Jeanty reached Frisco, he was part of a loaded team at the Texas 5A level.
“You know how the recruiting landscape is now,” Rayburn said. “If you’re not a big-time guy by your sophomore year, especially at that position, the big-time schools already have their guys locked in. They’ve been recruiting those guys for a while, and I don’t think Ashton was necessarily a late bloomer. He just wasn’t recruited super heavily early on.
“It’s been well-documented, but he moved in right before fall camp of his sophomore year from Italy. He was playing on a base out there. We knew he was a good player back then, but we didn’t know the kind of impact he would have. He was playing on a base against other kids on a base. We saw some talent, but we didn’t know the competition level. That was our 2019 team, when Marvin Mims broke all the records his senior year.”
