For nearly 36 years Barry Sanders’ NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards led to him winning the Heisman. Today, it still stands as one of college football’s most unbreakable feats. In the current age of the quarterback, it was thought that this record would be untouchable for even longer.Â
Enter Ashton Jeanty.Â
The standout junior running back has led the Boise State Broncos to a 9-1 record and the #12 ranking in the nation this season. From 10 games this season, Jeanty leads the nation in rushing yards, rushing attempts, and rushing touchdowns. He currently sits at 1,893 rushing yards in the year, which puts him at 189.3 yards per game. This is far behind Sanders’ 238.9 yards per game, but the Boise State star may get significantly more opportunities to catch him.
With the Broncos at 9-1 and ranked in the top 12, they are currently projected to make the Mountain West Conference championship game. Not only that, but with the new college football 12-team format, they’re on track to make the playoffs. This would give Jeanty between 14 to 17 total games to inch closer to history. At his current pace of 189.3 yards per game, Jeanty would break Barry’s record in game 14.
In terms of the volume needed to get there, Jeanty leads the nation in rushing attempts per game, and in each of the last 5 games he has recorded 31+ rushing attempts.
It is also not out of the question for him to break the single-season rushing touchdown record, also set by Barry Sanders in 1988 with 37 touchdowns. Jeanty currently has 26 rushing touchdowns, averaging 2.6 touchdowns per game. At this current pace, he could break the record in game 15 if the Broncos get there.
The closest anyone has gotten to the rushing yards record was Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon III in 2014, when he had 2,587 yards in 14 games. This puts Gordon at 184.7 rushing yards per game, trailing the video game-esque numbers Jeanty is totaling this campaign.
The race is on, and with 2-7 more games to play, Jeanty will have plenty of chances to cement his place in history. Should he continue at this pace, the 2024 season could see a new king of college football’s rushing records—one who’s rewriting the record books with every game.
