Colorado head coach Deion Sanders heaped praise on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who he believes will fly off the NFL Draft board in no time come April 25.
Over the first nine games of the 2024-25 campaign, Jeanty has turned in one dominant performance after another en route to propelling the No. 13-seeded Broncos to an 8-1 record. Entering Saturday’s game against San Jose State, he has rushed 224 times for 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns while also reeling in 16 catches for 93 yards and another score.
The historic season has placed Jeanty firmly in the discussion for the Heisman trophy, as he boasts the third-best odds to win the accolade at +550, trailing only Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+300) and Colorado’s Travis Hunter (+100), per ESPN bet.
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Though Sanders didn’t go so far as to name Jeanty his Heisman favorite – instead backing Buffaloes’ two-way phenom Hunter – he did speak incredibly highly of the 20-year-old’s abilities and draft stock.
“This young man Jeanty is running the ball phenomenally, he’s doing a phenomenal job and I love everything about him,” Sanders said while appearing on FS1’s ‘Speak.’ “I think he should be in the top five picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“But when it comes to the award of the Heisman, I think it’s supposed to go to the best player at college football. Travis Hunter is not only the best offensive player in college football, he’s the best defensive player.
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Ashton Jeanty has rushed for 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns this season (
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“He’s the best old player. If I put him on special teams, he would be the best returner. He’s that kind of guy. Never tires, never gives up, and he wants all the smoke that he can. If you got your best receiver, sometimes Travis will just say, ‘I got him coach, I got him.’”
The last running back to be selected with a top-5 pick was Saquon Barkley, who the New York Giants took No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott were additionally each picked fourth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys in the 2017 and 2016 drafts, respectively.
When discussing his future in the NFL, Jeanty has previously floated the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals as teams he could potentially see himself playing for – though there’s one franchise in particular that’s his ideal landing spot.
While appearing on the “Kickin’ it With Dee” podcast, Jeanty expressed a strong desire to play close to home at the professional level. “If I can script it, my family’s all in Texas,” he told host Donald ‘Deestroying’ De La Haye. “Family being there, all the connections, all the relationships, I feel like that would just be the perfect city to play in.”
Jeanty expressed a similar sentiment during a livestream last month, saying of the Cowboys: “I’m not saying they’re not a good fit, I’m not saying that at all,” Jeanty said. “I’m from Frisco, played in their practice stadium. I would be a hometown hero.”
Per Tankathon, the 3-6 Cowboys currently own the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but could easily fly up the board in the absence of injured quarterback Dak Prescott.
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