Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is off to an amazing start this season as he’s already rushed for 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns in just five games. Jeanty’s rushing yardage total is the eighth most by a player in his first five games in FBS history.
FOX’s college football account on X recently shared a post that compares Jeanty’s start to the last three running backs to win the Heisman Trophy. It helps show just how impressive the Boise State junior has been during the last few weeks.
Former Alabama star Derrick Henry was the last running back to capture the Heisman Trophy when he won the award in 2015. As the graphic above reveals, Jeanty has rushed for 461 more yards and seven more touchdowns in five games this season than what Henry was able to accumulate during his first five contests in 2015.
Looking back at other running backs who have won the Heisman Trophy in the last few decades, Jeanty’s start is more comparable to former Texas running back Ricky Williams.
In 1998, Williams rushed for 1,086 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first five games for the Longhorns. Obviously, he rushed for more touchdowns in his first five matchups than Jeanty has this season, but the Broncos running back has been much more efficient with his rushing attempts.
Jeanty has carried the football 95 times this year and he’s averaged 10.9 yards. Back in 1998, Williams had 157 carries in his first five games of the season for an average of 6.9 yards.
As of Monday, ESPN Bet lists Jeanty as the favorite to win this season’s Heisman Trophy with +225 odds, ahead of Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (+325) and Miami quarterback Cam Ward (+550).
Jeanty and Boise State still have seven games left on their regular-season schedule, and if he continues to produce at his current pace, the talented running back will finish with at least 2,474 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.
He could also finish with even better statistics as this projection doesn’t include any numbers he could potentially put up if the Broncos win enough games to compete in this season’s Mountain West Conference Championship and the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Boise State has already been able to benefit from Jeanty’s incredible production this year as the school is ranked No. 17 in the latest AP Top 25 with a 4-1 record. If their top running back continues to perform at an elite level, the Broncos could potentially be in the middle of one of the most successful seasons in school history.
