Courtesy of Boise State
BOISE, Idaho – After producing one of the most prolific seasons in college football history, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was named a finalist for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, the Heisman Trophy Trust announced. The junior is one of four finalists for college football’s most coveted individual award, which has been given to the nation’s top player since 1935.
Jeanty has 2,497 rushing yards this season, the fourth-highest single-season total in FBS history. This is more than the rushing yards total of 115 FBS teams. He has 29 rushing touchdowns, equaling or besting the total of 118 FBS teams. He carried the ball a nation-high 344 times, averaging 7.3 yards per carry, most among players with 160+ rushing attempts. The Lone Star H.S. product also leads the nation in all-purpose yards (2,613), total touchdowns (30) and points (180). His Pro Football Focus rushing grade is 97.5, the highest single-season mark during the College Football Playoff era (since 2014).
The HEI2MAN finalist has gained 1,889 yards after contact, which is more than the total rushing yards of any FBS player and 61 different FBS teams. It also sets an FBS single-season record, as does his mark of 144 missed tackles forced. Jeanty frequently faced loaded boxes, running against 7+ box defenders a nation-high 266 times. In those attempts, he averages 6.9 yards per carry and has scored 25 touchdowns.
A model of consistency, Jeanty averages 104.9 yards per first half played and 103.0 yards per second half played. He has rushed for over 100 yards in 17 of the 24 halves he’s played this year. He has five rushing touchdowns of 70+ yards, tying LaDanian Tomlinson (TCU, 1999) for the most in FBS single-season history since 1996. Jeanty is the first player since at least 1996 to eclipse 125 rushing yards in 13-straight games.
Jeanty has more rushes of 20+ yards (24) than rushes for loss (23) this season. He has 12 rushes of 50+ yards and 10 of 60+ yards, both more than any team in the country. Of his 364 touches, 121 have gained first downs. He leads the nation in various fourth quarter rushing categories, including yards (679), touchdowns (9), first downs (29), 10+ yard gains (21) and 20+ yard gains (6).
Jeanty stayed at Boise State to leave a legacy and has done exactly that, rewriting the record book. His 2024 rushing totals of 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns are program records, as are his career totals of 4,665 yards, eight 200-yard games and 21 100-yard games. He is one of three players to record back-to-back 200-yard games, joining Cedric Minter (1978) and Alexander Mattison (2018). The team captain also holds the record for consecutive 100-yard games at 13, a number he hopes to extend at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
Not only has Jeanty left a legacy on the field, he has done so off the field with the creation of the Ashton Jeanty Endowed Scholarship for Football. Over $150,000 has been donated by over 400 supporters. Fans can help Jeanty reach the goal of $200,000 by donating HERE.
Jeanty kicked off his HEI2MAN campaign at Georgia Southern by setting a pair of Boise State records. He ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Broncos to a 56-45 win. He gashed then-No. 7/6 Oregon for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a last-second, 37-34 loss to the now-No. 1 Ducks. After a week off, Jeanty carried the ball 11 times for 127 yards in the home-opener, helping Boise State beat Portland State, 56-14. The Broncos returned to the national rankings before the next game, checking in at No. 25 in the AP Poll. Behind a 259-yard, four-touchdown effort from Jeanty, Boise State throttled Washington State, 45-24. The junior gained 233 yards after contact and forced 18 missed tackles in the contest.
The Jacksonville, Florida, native began conference play with a 186-yard, three-touchdown performance against Utah State, compiling those numbers on 13 first-half carries in Boise State’s 62-30 victory. He churned out 237 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 34 touches at Hawai’i, leading the Broncos to a 28-7 win over the Rainbow Warriors. In a crucial Mountain West showdown, the tailback churned out 139 all-purpose yards and one touchdown on 36 touches in a 29-24 triumph at UNLV.
Jeanty continued his heavy workload in MW play, totaling 180 yards and two touchdowns on 33 touches against San Diego State before carrying the ball 34 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns against Nevada. He scored three more touchdowns against San Jose State, running for 159 yards on 32 attempts. In the MW finale, he overcame injury to run for 169 yards and one touchdown, leading Boise State to a 17-13 win over Wyoming.
In the final game of the regular season, Jeanty had a career-high 37 rushes, totaling 226 yards and one touchdown against Oregon State. In his final game on The Blue, Jeanty delivered one of his finest performances yet, totaling 223 yards from scrimmage on 34 touches to lead Boise State to a 21-7 win over No. 20 UNLV. The victory gave the Broncos their second-straight MW title and clinched the No. 3 seed in the CFP.
Jeanty is also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award. He is the 2024 MW Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-MW first team selection. He was recognized as the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week four times, Walter Camp National Player of the Week once and MW Offensive Player of the Week six times. ESPN placed him at the top of its Midseason Heisman Watch List and seven outlets named him Midseason All-America, including unanimous nods from the AP and CBS Sports.
Jeanty is the first running back to be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy since Bryce Love (Stanford, 2017). He is the first Group of 5 finalist since quarterback Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois, 2013). The last Group of 5 running back to be named a finalist was LaDanian Tomlinson (TCU, 2000).
2024 Heisman Trophy Finalists
Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Cam Ward (Miami)
BOISE STATE RETURNS TO FIESTA BOWL
Boise State earned the No. 3 seed and a berth in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl during the first expanded College Football Playoff. The Broncos will face the winner of Penn State vs. SMU at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31. Tickets for the game can be purchased HERE. More information about the game will be available on BroncoSports.com.
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