On a follow area on the outskirts of a thousand-year-old metropolis, Jim Davis handed the highschool freshman a soccer and advised him his goal. It was to impress upon the senior linebacker ready on the opposite aspect of the offensive line that this new member of the Naples Wildcats was not going to be wrestled to the grass with out a combat. Ashton Jeanty nodded and eagerly waited for the snap.
“Ashton selected a gap, went by way of it and he, excuse my French, put the child proper on his ass,” stated Davis, head coach of the Wildcats. “Till you see a child take that first hit, you by no means know. That first hit alleviated any doubts.”
Earlier than Jeanty launched himself to the nation together with his imposing and relentless operating fashion that has made him an early Heisman Trophy front-runner at Boise State, he was a beginner on the soccer crew at a U.S. Naval Help base within the historic city of Aversa, Italy, 15 miles north of Naples. His father, Harry, who served within the Navy as a commanding officer, was relocated there previous to the beginning of Ashton’s seventh-grade 12 months. It was there in a city identified for producing a few of Italy’s finest buffalo mozzarella, glowing white wine and its abundance of Catholic church buildings that Jeanty took his first actual steps towards stardom.
“Over there,” Harry Jeanty stated, “Ashton was in heaven.”
Ashton Jeanty (middle) performed soccer in Italy earlier than his household moved to Texas. (Courtesy of Jim Davis)
Via the primary two weeks of the 2024 season, Jeanty leads the nation in yards speeding (459), speeding touchdowns (9) and compelled missed tackles (22). Per week after his head-turning 267-yard, six-touchdown efficiency at Georgia Southern, Jeanty adopted it up by punishing an Oregon protection many thought-about among the many finest within the nation for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-34 close to upset that got here all the way down to a last-second made area aim by Oregon.
Jeanty had essentially the most speeding yards by a visiting participant at Autzen Stadium since Washington’s Myles Gaskin in 2016. The loss hasn’t deterred Boise State’s star from the idea he has in his crew’s heights this 12 months.
“We’ve obtained probably the greatest groups within the nation,” Jeanty stated postgame. “We fell quick, however whoever we play from right here on out these subsequent 10 video games, we’re going to dominate.”
#RB1 Ashton Jeanty presently leads the FBS in…
Dashing yards: 459Rushing TDs: 9Forced missed tackles: 22 pic.twitter.com/uRJyGNMhmG
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 9, 2024
Jeanty, like he did on that poor senior linebacker manner again when, runs by way of no matter lies forward of him. Oftentimes, he simply pings off confused defenders who can’t match his downhill energy and retains motoring forward. At 5 toes 9 and 215 kilos, the junior operating again isn’t solely absurdly robust — he can squat 600 kilos — however he has been timed at hitting 21.5 mph in video games. He’s thought-about the No. 1 operating again prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft by The Athletic’s draft professional Dane Brugler.
Brugler appropriately wrote in his scouting report: “The person hates to be tackled.”
Yeah, that about sums him up. No less than on the sector. His path to turning into the following nice Boise State operating again and one of many nation’s finest gamers didn’t begin with him being hyped by recruiting providers nationwide at a younger age.
The Naples Wildcats needed to take a nine-hour bus experience to face the closest crew, at an Air Drive base in Aviano on the foot of the Dolomite mountain vary. There have been journeys to play on an Military base close to Venice. They flew commercially to Rota, Spain, to play the crew on the Naval base there. And one sport featured an 18-hour bus experience to Spangdahlem, Germany. They’d usually sleep on the gymnasium flooring on Friday nights earlier than enjoying on Saturday and ultimately the lengthy journey again to southern Italy.
Davis stated his roster dimension every year is often round 30 tops, so everyone seems to be enjoying offense and protection. Jeanty performed in every single place and was in a category all his personal whilst a freshman. However previous to the beginning of his sophomore 12 months in 2019, the household discovered it was shifting stateside to the larger Dallas space.
“My spouse instantly stated, ‘Oh, that’s a disgrace you’re dropping him!’” Davis recalled, “And I stated, ‘No, he wants to return and get uncovered.’”
That June, Lone Star Excessive College coach Jeff Rayburn acquired two emails informing him {that a} new pupil and potential addition to the crew was en route from Italy to the varsity in Frisco, Texas. That was a primary.
“We didn’t know something about him,” Rayburn stated, “however when he confirmed up, we discovered actual fast.”
Jeanty joined a Lone Star crew full of star expertise together with future NFL gamers like Marvin Mims Jr. and Jaylan Ford. His sophomore 12 months, he performed wherever Rayburn’s employees wanted him to, from security to linebacker to fit receiver to defensive finish. As a junior, he break up operating again reps with Jaden Nixon, who went on to play at Oklahoma State earlier than transferring to Western Michigan. And Jeanty typically terrorized defenses as a slot receiver together with his elusiveness. When Jeanty’s senior season rolled round, he lastly turned RB1 at Lone Star. And from there he asserted himself.
Jeanty accounted for 41 complete touchdowns in 12 video games his senior 12 months. He rushed for 1,843 yards on 229 carries, averaging 8 yards per carry. He owned Class 5A soccer in Texas, however blue-blood gives weren’t precisely rolling in. Boise State supplied him in Might 2021. Previous to that featured gives from the likes of Navy, Dartmouth, Cal, New Mexico and Penn. The one in-state faculties to supply Jeanty have been Texas State, Sam Houston State and North Texas.
“These days the way in which recruiting is, if you happen to’re not being dedicated as a junior, the Texases, Alabamas, Georgias, they’ve already pinpointed who they needed to take,” Rayburn stated. “I believe if Ashton would’ve performed operating again full time as a junior, he wouldn’t have ended up at Boise. I believe he would’ve ended up at a Energy 4 faculty.”
Jeanty dedicated to Boise State the autumn of his senior season. And as soon as he obtained to Boise the next 12 months, he instantly made an impression, speeding for 821 yards and 7 touchdowns as a freshman in 2022 backing up incumbent George Holani. Then got here the sophomore leap as Jeanty established himself as one of many breakout gamers of the season a 12 months in the past, speeding for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns regardless of lacking two video games to harm.
The Broncos gained the Mountain West Convention title final 12 months however solely after coping with the late-season dismissal of head coach Andy Avalos in November. Three weeks later, they have been in Las Vegas hoisting the MWC trophy after beating UNLV 44-20. Jeanty had a game-high 153 yards.
However even earlier than the blue and orange confetti fell inside Allegiant Stadium, Boise State was in a battle to maintain its star completely satisfied at house.
“Earlier than we win the MWC championship sport, the quantity of inflow with unlawful tampering with Ashton, to his household, to him, to place coaches, head coaches calling him … he was getting bombarded,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson stated. “He was like, ‘Coach, I wish to be right here. I wish to be a part of this household and assist this crew win video games. That is the place I dedicated to popping out of highschool, that is what I’m about.’ And he hasn’t regarded again since.”
Requested to make clear simply what number of groups got here calling, Jeanty laughed: “Nah, however we’ll simply say it was rather a lot.”
Harry Jeanty stated the eye was overwhelming, but in addition anticipated.
“I assume the norm now’s individuals tend to leap the place the cash is. Is that making sense for them? Most likely,” he stated. “However for Ashton, I’ve all the time advised him to remain humble, work exhausting and all the pieces else will fall into place. It is smart for him to be at Boise as a result of, look, any individual can give you no matter sum of money — and there have been lots of gives on the market — you would take these gives, however whenever you get on campus, do you actually know what’s going to occur?”
It didn’t cease with Jeanty and his household, both.
“I obtained loads of cellphone calls about attempting to get Ashton out of there and other people have been telling me they have been providing him this, that or the opposite,” Rayburn stated.
What coaches who drooled over the concept of Jeanty of their backfield didn’t perceive is that the navy child who bounced round Virginia, Florida, Texas and even Italy had lastly discovered a spot he known as a house.
“The love for my crew and for this program, that’s what conserving me right here,” he stated. “The individuals on this metropolis. Nothing beats what I’ve right here at Boise State. No sum of money can outweigh that.”
Cash doesn’t damage, although. Boise-area sports activities radio host Mike Prater reported three days after the MWC title win that Jeanty acquired a brand new title, picture and likeness deal that included $300,000, housing and a automobile to remain in blue.
“I used to be glad to see they’d finished that as a result of, clearly, Ashton deserved each penny that they offered to him as a result of he would’ve gotten at the very least three or 4 occasions extra elsewhere,” Harry Jeanty stated. “Nevertheless it’s not all concerning the cash. It’s about Ashton being in the correct place and with the ability to make a distinction.”
Danielson confirmed that Jeanty was getting supplied “considerably extra” to go away. He selected to remain, which as soon as once more made the Broncos a crew to beat within the MWC and a dark-horse candidate to make a run to the brand new 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff.
“The individuals right here have embraced him,” Danielson stated. “Ashton Jeanty’s a family title right here for the remainder of his life.”
And the phrase is out to the remainder of the nation, too.
To be worthy of the #HEI2MAN, it’s a must to be #BuiltDifferenthttps://t.co/2fDkCvClio#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/RgfmK1rZ6h
— Boise State Soccer (@BroncoSportsFB) August 28, 2024
Jeanty’s beautiful begin got here on the heels of a Boise State Heisman marketing campaign that kicked off sooner than most Aug. 28. The athletic division knew it needed to get Jeanty’s title on the market early as a Group of 5 faculty whose star may get misplaced within the Heisman haze come October or November. It gained’t be straightforward to proceed to maintain the nation’s consideration, but when the numbers proceed, the game can have no alternative.
Alabama’s Derrick Henry was the final operating again to win the trophy in 2015. The final time a G5 participant was invited to New York Metropolis as a Heisman Trophy finalist was 2013 when Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch was on the checklist.
His 9 speeding touchdowns are essentially the most of any FBS participant by way of the primary two weeks of the season since Ricky Williams at Texas in 1998 — the identical 12 months Williams went on to elevate the Heisman. Jeanty isn’t afraid of any form of jinx. Fairly the alternative, the truth is. He welcomes the hype machine he now powers together with his stout body.
Ultimately zone, which he obtained to know so nicely at Georgia Southern within the season opener, Jeanty lifted his proper leg and caught out his proper arm and hit the primary Heisman pose of the season. There will definitely be extra within the coming weeks if he retains operating by way of no matter is in entrance of him.
(Photograph: Tom Hauck / Getty Photographs)
