It’s not over yet, but step 1 is out of the way. In order to win the final, you first have to be a finalist. Ashton Jeanty achieved that today by being just the second Boise State Bronco named as a finalist for the award. Per Boise State, via Broncosports.com:
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).“
The other finalists, if you’re curious.
An Assortment of Bona Fides in What SHOULD Be The Most Easy, Open/Shut Heisman Trophy Case Ever
Total stats are the best for a running back since 1988. He is only the fourth person to achieve what he has achieved since 1956
Possibly the most mind blowing stat is that his 10 plays of 60+ yards as an individual are more than any other *team*.
Or…maybe this one is. Also, his yards after contact are more than any other player has rushing yards TOTAL.
#Hei2man
Please consider selecting one of the monthly or yearly gift donation options (from the three below) to help us pay for the site and to keep our efforts going. Thank you!
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly gift donation
Choose an amount
Your contribution to keeping the FKWG (formerly OBNUG) community and dream alive is GREATLY appreciated!
Your contribution to keeping the FKWG (formerly OBNUG) community and dream alive is GREATLY appreciated!
Your contribution to keeping the FKWG (formerly OBNUG) community and dream alive is GREATLY appreciated!
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
I can’t conceive any way Jeanty does not win the Heisman. Then again…
Truly….I just wonder how many Hunter homers are in the rolls of those voting. So many of those in love with Hunter say, “Look at his body of work!” So I did…and? He played both sides of the ball, neither yielding anywhere near the output of Jeanty, other than snap count. I actually had one homer reply to my post by stating, “A lot of players have done what Jeanty did. No one has done what Hunter did.” Seriously??? That is a special kind of stupid right there.
I don’t know much about the backgrounds of some of the earlier Heisman winners, but Howard ‘Hopalong’ Cassidy played both sides of the ball (not uncommon in that era). He was an RB and DB. They said not one pass was completed on his side of the field. Like I said, it was a different era.
I’m happy for Ashton. Anyone who doesn’t vote for him is sub human😅
They are cockroaches.
🤣Tony Montana
In 2010, Boise State offered the winningest QB in college football, 50-3.
And now the man who will break the single-season rushing record. A record he could have easily had by now if allowed to play a couple more quarters. It is such a no-brainer.
I hope the Hunter homers are really embarrassed when AJ breaks Barry Sander’s record at the Fiesta Bowl…better yet…have his performance solidify a win!
I don’t think we need to bash Hunter, Ward, or Gabriel; still, Jeanty is the clear winner in my view. Nevertheless, Bronco Nation needs to prepare ourselves for Hunter to be the Heisman. There is love for Hei2man out there – BUT, there is SO MUCH hate for the little guy among the media and P4 fanbases. They all think they are blue-collar and work harder, but they don’t realize what entitled jerks they are. Whether they give it to Jeanty or not, we need our boys to shock the world and win this thing!
From a team perspective, I hope they don’t give it to him . He and the OL would have a huge chip and play all the more on fire! But he is a really good guy and deserves it…
I get where you are coming from!
yards after contact are all 1200 to 1300… then Jeanty at 1800. Huge difference, kinda pops the eyes out to look at that.
Several have made this contrast; what if Hunter transferred to Boise and Jeanty to Colorado last year? What would Boise’s record be? What would Colorada’s record be?
Nuff said.
Six from the BSU roster entered the portal. No contributors. A few saw minimal action. Kaden Dudly was one of them. I believe he left the program in early September. He could have possibly played a valuable role in the return game.
Sad about Khai Taylor. I think he would have had a breakout year next year!
The deciding factor in the Heisman voting should come down to two words “Record-Breaking” (or one hyphenated word describing our guy, depending on how much of an English snob you are). Not just “athletic,” compared to others playing this year, but “generational” or “historical”… changing the CFB landscape forever. Mentioned above or with all the other great running backs that have come before IN HISTORY. Maybe Travis Hunter will go on to have a HOF NFL career, but he won’t be mentioned among the other greats at either position when it comes to CFB, because he hasn’t broken their records.… Read more »
Here’s another word or two to describe Jeanty and the Heisman winner; daaam-gud. (sic)
It is likely that we are only setting ourselves up to not be disappointed; the fix is in—it will be the other guy. I hope that the voters are open-minded; the media machine and the Prime effect haven’t taken over reason.
Goodbye, Malichi. He’s entered the portal.
I don’t blame him, there’s a lot of $’s floating around, maybe enough to retire on in a single year if he’s careful. Wishing you well Malachi!
Given he sat on the bench for 2 years, I think a lot of that money has dried up for him. There is already talk that he was over hyped coming out of HS. Who knows? If he transfers to Washington or Arizona & balls out then we look like idiots that never game him a fair shake. If he quietly disappears & has a “meh” career at Tulsa or Florida Atlantic then we look pretty smart. Time will tell. I don’t blame him though. Clearly, Noise is all in on Madsen. That being said, we now only have Kaleb… Read more »
I don’t think it’s a good look for the No. 1 backup to leave just before the playoff. Apparently, he never bought into the whole TEAM concept preached by SD. I also understand why he wants to move on. Madsen has two years of eligibility remaining. He didn’t see a way forward at USC a year ago. And he doesn’t see a way forward now. However, if Madsen gets injured, he would have had an opportunity to prove himself. It seems as if he would have every reason to stay. Maybe he wants to be the first. Maybe Arkansas will… Read more »
There is a reason he didn’t start, or even see significant playing time when we had the game well in hand. He reminds me of Bachmeier, also highly rated out of high school, yet couldn’t quite get the knack of college ball.
my first thought too, just stay until season is over to demonstrate being a good team player
that said, no idea what sets of circumstances were facing him
Wishing Malachi well!!!
From what I understand, In order to qualify for spring camp, they must be enrolled by January. It puts the student/athlete between the rock and the hard place.
He must not feel too certain of his ability to de-thrown Mad Dog. SD said he would be having some hard conversations with some of his players. Malichi was likely one of them. Perhaps Malichi was asking for assurances that SD could not give.
Max Cutforth seemed to be the QB3 this year, he’s not in the portal is he?
Like a scene from Casablanca.
I’m shocked!