How good is Boise State’s Jeanty? Even Coach Pete can’t think of a player like him
Chris Petersen wasn’t “going there” when asked Wednesday morning whether Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will be a Heisman Trophy finalist in December.
But he was sure about one thing: He hasn’t seen a player like Jeanty before.
Coach Pete, as he’s still fondly called in these parts a decade after departing for the University of Washington job, was visiting Boise State on Wednesday to get a look at Jeanty ahead of the Broncos’ Mountain West opener against Utah State on Saturday.
Petersen, who was Boise State’s offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2005 and then head coach through 2013, now works as an analyst for Fox Sports. Boise State’s game this weekend will air on Fox Sports 2.
Standing in the Bleymaier Football Center lobby, just a few feet away from the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowl trophies that he won with the Broncos, Petersen discussed the Broncos and how good Jeanty has been.
“When I look back at all of our time here, all the great players that we’ve had, the one position where it’s probably been stacked as much as any has been that running back position,” Petersen said. “We’ve always had a really good running back. And (Jeanty) may be as good as anything that we have seen.”
Through four games, Jeanty leads the nation in all-purpose yards (864), rushing yards (845) and rushing touchdowns (13). Those numbers could be even more impressive, but the junior superstar played only one half against Portland State, recording 127 yards on 11 carries.
Petersen said what Jeanty is doing is not something he’s really seen, to the point where he struggled to compare Jeanty to another running back.
“But if you ask (offensive coordinator) Dirk Koetter, he would say Maurice Jones-Drew, who was with him in Jacksonville and led the NFL in rushing in 2011,” Petersen said. “He’s seen these guys up close and personal, and there’s no better coach to evaluate people than Dirk.”
Jones-Drew was a star running back at UCLA, and in his playing days, he was of similar build to Jeanty, standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 210 pounds. Jeanty is 5-9 and goes about 215.
MJD, as he was known, was an All-American for the Bruins, an honor Jeanty might match. Jones-Drew was not a Heisman Trophy finalist; Jeanty very well might be.
Petersen wasn’t willing to declare that Jeanty will be in New York on Dec. 7 — it’s “almost blasphemy” to talk about it right now, he joked.
But he was nothing but effusive in his praise for the relentless running back.
“If his mind can stay — truly as cliche as it sounds — that one practice at a time, that one game at a time, it’s going to be impressive,” Petersen said.
Petersen also chatted briefly about his relationship with first-year head coach Spencer Danielson, who has described him as a mentor even though he was gone when Danielson joined the Boise State staff in 2017.
“It’s not surprising the progression that he’s made, and I’m just really proud of what he’s done when he took over the mantle of command,” Petersen said.
“The vibe that’s going through this program … it’s a really challenging, difficult job. Doesn’t look like it right now from the outside, but it really is. And he’s just such a solid person, that is always going to give him such a good chance to continue to grow and be really, really elite at this.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 3:46 PM.
