The current NFL season may be of interest to many Boise State fans, as former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty makes his debut. Last year, Jeanty led Boise State to the playoffs while being the star player on the roster, as well as being in the Heisman Race (with the award eventually being given to now Jacksonville Jaguars CB/WR Travis Hunter).
Jeanty was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This selection marks him as the highest running back drafted in the first round since Saquon Barkley was drafted to the New York Giants in 2018. Being drafted this high comes with high expectations from NFL fans and coaches.
“I think Jeanty will be a special talent. His elite vision and contact balance will make him one of the best young running backs in the league,” said senior Lincoln Swenson.
Jeanty will look to start his career with the Raiders and try to compete for the AFC. In five weeks of play, Jeanty has 105 carries for 424 yards and three touchdowns. These stats on paper look fairly average for a rookie running back. The key difference being that Jeanty has gained 101 percent of his yards after contact. This is made possible due to more than frequent tackle attempts behind the line of scrimmage. This has led him to gain more yards after contact than he has positive yards.
This has made some question about whether he has been drafted into the best situation for a young star running back such as himself. The Raiders have in fact not had a stellar start to the season. Through six games the Raiders have four losses with only two wins. This puts the Las Vegas Raiders to the bottom of the standings in the AFC West.
“Me and my family have always been huge Boise State fans; I loved seeing Ashton Jeanty on the team last year.” Swenson said, “It was crazy to see a Boise State player in the Heisman conversation. Jeanty got robbed of the Heisman.”
As Jeanty has made a lasting impact on the Boise State fans, Las Vegas Raider fans will look to this special athlete for the same explosive runs, elite plays and humble personality off the field.
