Woah! The Heisman race is already gaining momentum. Now that the Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders is presumably out of the race, the spotlight is mainly on two people. The Buffs two-way star Travis Hunter and the Boise State Broncos RB Ashton Jeanty. Looks like Jeanty has already dived into the race and is all set to show his competitors, Hunter, Miami QB Cam Ward, and Oregon Ducks’ Dillon Gabriel, what he is.
Well, you can now see the spark in his eyes and the heat in his words. That’s when you get to know that it comes from the pain of getting ‘overlooked,’ fueled up the hunger to prove himself and his program.
Ashton Jeanty stands up for Boise State’s silent fight
Well, we are quite used to seeing Colorado’s Hunter in the limelight. Now even more, particularly after the Buffs’ Heisman campaign for their two-way star. But if any other name is trending in the college football landscape now, it’s none other than Jeanty. The Broncos RB’s record-breaking season will make a trip to New York City’s Lincoln Center. Already standing tall (read: fourth) on the NCAA’s all-time single-season rushing leaders list, Jeanty’s stats have been enough for fans to flock around him. With 2,497 yards, the RB now stands 341 yards away from Barry Sanders’ record of 2,628 yards back in 1988. So, Jeanty must be having butterflies in his stomach. On the ESPN College Football podcast, in an interview with Hannah Storm and Jay Harris, the RB shared, “It would mean the world to me.”
And what makes the Heisman race so special? It’s not about Jeanty’s personal goals. He will now prove to the world what Boise State is really made of, something that seemed to be overlooked this season. As the RB stated, “I think not only just for myself, but you know having this underdog story and you know being at a group of five school and us kind of being overlooked all the time. So I think it would be big not just for me but big for the community of Boise, all my teammates.” Now, this is something we can’t deny, right?
Quite naturally, the cream of the programs, the Power Four school, got all the attention. But that shouldn’t have been the case. After all, the Broncos finished the regular season with an 11-1 record. Even though they didn’t get the due credit and are now getting attention for Jeanty’s high Heisman hopes, we must not forget how they made the most use of their tough schedule. They landed a defeat to their ranked opponents like UNLV and Washington State, plus they lost to No.7 Oregon Ducks by a thin margin. Thanks to Jeanty, he is making his program proud even before landing the bronze trophy.
Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman hype gets a legendary endorsement
Suddenly, Jeanty has now turned into an attention magnet. After all, the Boise State star RB edges closer to the NCAA single-season rushing record. They have already emerged as the winners in the Mountain West Championship Game. Side-by-side, Jeanty is now chasing former Oklahoma State Cowboys star Bary Sanders’ rushing record. Yes, there have been battles, as the Broncos star hasn’t had a 300-yard game this season.
But so what? Jeanty is coming off strong with his third-best performance, putting up 226 rushing yards on 37 carries. Just as the RB was probably expecting praise from the legends, a surprise hit him. Jeanty’s Heisman noise has been enough for the Oklahoma State Cowboys legend to give the junior out of Jacksonville a huge thumbs up.
“Hey Ashton Jeanty – Wishing you luck tonight. My fans can gripe, but records are made to be broken & I am rooting for you. I love seeing all these NFL and NCAA RBs showing the value of the position,” Barry Sanders came with a heartfelt message for Ashton Jeanty. Now the motivation for the much-awaited bronze trophy got 100x. What a great way to shut up those who ignored you and your program!
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