Ahead of the NFL draft, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty made his intentions clear to the team that drafts him—Jeanty wants to bring the impact that Saquon Barkley did for the Philadelphia Eagles this past season.
As Barkley transformed the Eagles offense and helped the team win the Super Bowl, Jeanty believes he can do that too.
“Most people, they watched the Eagles win the Super Bowl a couple of months ago, they watched Saquon run through everyone in the playoffs, and they thought to themselves, 'This is amazing,'” Jeanty wrote in The Player's Tribune. “I watched it and I thought something different. I thought, ‘That can be me.’”
"I’ve taken the long way," Jeanty added. "I’m done with that way. If you pick me, it’s simple: I’m coming to your franchise to do what Saquon and the Eagles just did. I’m coming to win, big, soon."
It's bold for Jeanty to compare himself to the best running back in the NFL last season. During the 2024 season, Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, rushing for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns. In four postseason games, he added 499 yards and five touchdowns.
Though lofty, it's not unrealistic for Jeanty to set those goals. For one, he's that good. In his final season at Boise State, Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Jeanty came just 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' all-time single-season collegiate record, and recorded more yards after contact than any other running back had total rushing yards.
Beyond his statistics, Jeanty had a Barkley-like impact on Boise State. Jeanty was largely responsible for bringing the Broncos to the College Football Playoff, and finished second in the Heisman trophy race.
It's not far-fetched for a rookie running back to have a massive impact on a team either. Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2016, and played a huge part in the Cowboys going 13-3 that season. Historically, backs like Tony Dorsett and Eric Dickerson benefitted their teams from the get-go. Given what Jeanty accomplished in college, it wouldn't be shocking to see him also dominate in the NFL.
