Ashton Jeanty dominated college football. Is he the NFL’s next great running back?

The NFL's running back renaissance in 2024 has helped the position re-emerge as an essential piece to the team-building puzzle. With workhorse runners like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs leading the way on playoff contenders, the league has quietly shifted back to its ground-and-pound roots with running backs installed as the centerpiece to the offensive puzzle. 

As teams in a copycat league plot out their 2025 plans with a playoff run in mind, all eyes are on Ashton Jeanty as the premier running back prospect in college football. The Heisman Trophy runner-up has put together an impressive three-year run at Boise State that has scouts salivating over his prototypical size (5-foot-9, 215 pounds), skills and production as a feature runner in a pro-style system. 

With a resume that features 4,600-plus rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns, Jeanty is the high-achiever NFL offensive coordinators covet in an RB1. But he also displays the pass-catching skills and production (77 receptions, 840 yards and six scores) to flourish in a hybrid runner-receiver role out of the backfield. As teams look for more do-it-all playmakers with big-play potential, Jeanty has generated quite the buzz within the scouting community. 

[Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: Ashton Jeanty goes in the top 10 ]

"Tough kid with great skills," said an NFC executive. "He plays with outstanding balance and body control, and can take it the distance at any time… He can catch out of the backfield and make plays in space. He is exactly what you want in lead back in today's game." 

Reviewing the game tape from Jeanty's sensational junior campaign, I see much to like about the dazzling runner. From his size, physicality and power, to his