Boise State's Ashton Jeanty feels he 'should've walked away' with Heisman, motivated to get better

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty led the nation with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns during the 2024 season and led the team to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Jeanty’s numbers, in any other year, would have likely guaranteed him the Heisman Trophy. But this season, he ran into two-way superstar Travis Hunter and his Colorado teammate Shedeur Sanders. It was a hard-fought run, but Jeanty finished in second place behind Hunter.

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Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, stands with the trophy during a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Hunter was the second two-way to win the Heisman Trophy after Michigan legend Charles Woodson. He was the first non-quarterback to win the award since wide receiver DeVonta Smith won it at Alabama during the 2020 season.

Jeanty, however, said he felt like he did enough to win the title.

“I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning,” he said Saturday night, via ESPN. “But yeah, it’s simple as that. Work harder, go harder.”

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Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty celebrates after winning the offensive player of the game for the Mountain West Championship against UNLV, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner, File)

Jeanty received 309 first-place votes. He said he was “100%” motivated by failing to win the Heisman.

“There’s a lot more to come,” he added. “This isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. So I just have to do that much more to get the things that I want.”

Jeanty won the Maxwell Trophy as college football’s best player and the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the country.