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.
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."
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.
Boise State won the Mountain West Conference and have a bye into the quarterfinals of the playoff. The team will play the winner of SMU-Penn State.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty's Heisman Trophy acceptance speech will wind up in the same place as Kamala Harris' presidential election victory speech.
Jeanty, a finalist for the award Saturday night, came up short to two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter in the voting. Jeanty had the best season of any Boise State running back in program history and one of the best in college football history.
He thought so highly of his chances to win the award, he wrote and practiced an acceptance speech and even told the world he did so.
"I practiced my speech last night to make sure I’m ready when I get up there," Jeanty told reporters before the ceremony Saturday.
But Hunter's dominance this season on both offense as a wide receiver and defense as a defensive back was too much for Jeanty to overcome.
Hunter received 552 first-place votes, beating out Jeanty's 309. They were, by far, the top two finishers in the vote, and it was the closest vote since 2009.
As a wide receiver, Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. As a corner, Hunter had 31 tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions, anchoring Colorado’s defense.
Hunter also won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player, becoming the first player ever to win both the Bednarik and Biletnikoff.
Jeanty was the first running back Heisman Trophy finalist since 2017 after an impressive season in which he led the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns.
The running back helped lead Boise State to the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff, which includes a first-round bye. Boise State will play the winner of SMU and Penn State.
Hunter's Colorado team fell short of the playoff, finishing at No. 23. Colorado will play BYU in the Alamo Bowl Dec. 28.
Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy hopeful Ashton Jeanty has captured the attention of college football fans this season because of his stellar performance on the field, but on Friday, he garnered even more attention on social media because of his outfit choice.
The Heisman Trophy finalist arrived in New York this weekend ahead of the highly anticipated 90th annual ceremony on Saturday night. While doing press, fans on X picked up on one major difference between Jeanty and his fellow Heisman candidates.
He was the only one to represent his football program with his outfit choice.
Jeanty, who also won favor with fans for speaking openly about his faith, was praised by many on social media for wearing an orange and blue tracksuit representing the Broncos.
Asked about why he had opted for that outfit choice, Jeanty acknowledged that he wouldn’t be in this position today if not for Boise State.
"Reading the little Heisman pamphlet, they said they encouraged us to wear our gear," he said Friday with a laugh. "But regardless, I was going to wear it anyway, because I wouldn’t be here without Boise State, and I just want to represent my school. I feel like that’s important."
Jeanty is the first running back Heisman Trophy finalist since 2017. After an impressive season that saw him lead the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, Jeanty is among the top two favorites alongside Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.
But even with those accomplishments, Jeanty feels his place in New York goes beyond personal achievement.
"The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," Jeanty said. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. . . . I feel as if I'm representing the whole position."
The winner will be announced Saturday night at the ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday, and two frontrunners are officially in the mix.
Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter and Boise State’s bruising running back Ashton Jeanty are considered the two favorites to win the award, while quarterback Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Cam Ward of Miami round out the quartet.
This has been a thrilling college football season in the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff. But while his Buffaloes won’t be playing for a national title, Hunter’s efforts alongside the potential first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders, has led to a successful Colorado season.
Hunter is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman, as he’s simply doing something that no one in college football has: play on both sides of the ball.
Hunter played full-time on offense and defense, and he finished in the top five in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and passes defended. Pro Football Focus also gave him the top coverage grade this season as well.
On offense, Hunter had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns over 12 games, averaging 96.0 yards through the air per game. And on defense, he defended 11 passes while collecting four interceptions and 32 combined tackles over the same set of games.
Despite Hunter being the overwhelming favorite, it’s simply been a blast to watch Jeanty lead the Broncos all the way to a Mountain West Conference title while earning a bye in the College Football Playoff as the No. 3 seed.
Jeanty led college football in rushing yards (2,497), rushing touchdowns (29), total touchdowns (30) and rush attempts (344) as the Broncos’ offense truly ran through the junior, who is also projected to be a first-rounder come April.
His argument for winning the award over Hunter is the fact that he took a Group of Five school to a CFP bye in his historic season. If he breaks Barry Sanders’ all-time rushing record (2,628), who knows how the voting should shake out.
But there’s only a single No. 1 seed this year in the CFP, and Gabriel’s Ducks are it as his sixth collegiate season has led to more elite production.
Gabriel had 3,558 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns over his 297 attempts through the air to help the Ducks to an undefeated regular season at 13-0.
The Hawaii native’s best game came against No. 2 Ohio State, where he had 341 yards passing and three total touchdowns, proving Oregon was the team to beat in the Big Ten in its inaugural season in the conference. Oregon went on to beat Penn State to win the Big Ten, and now they’re looking for an undefeated season with a national title attached to it.
Ward, another potential first overall selection in 2025, is about as cool and collected as a quarterback can be in the pocket, which has led to numerous come-from-behind victories for the Hurricanes this season.
He’s also a fantastic college football story, starting at Incarnate Word out of high school, his only offer, and ultimately leading college football with 36 passing touchdowns and finishing second with 4,123 passing yards this year.
Miami wasn’t able to make the CFP this year, but an argument can be made that Ward was the best quarterback in the game this season, which earned him a trip to New York.
Boise State star running back and Heisman Trophy hopeful Ashton Jeanty helped the Broncos punch their ticket to the College Football Playoffs with another incredible showing in the Mountain West championship game on Friday night.
But his first thought wasn’t how another 200-plus yard game improved his Heisman chances. It was his faith.
"First of all, I’ve got to thank God," Jeanty told FOX Sports in an interview on the field after the 21-7 victory over UNLV.
"The way He’s been moving through this team and blessing us – God’s favor is over us."
Jeanty, who confirmed that Friday’s title game would be his last at Boise State before entering the NFL Draft next year, has openly spoken about his faith and the role that it’s played in his life. In an interview early this season, Jeanty spoke about the "ultimate transformation" he underwent and how he credited his faith for that change.
"I like to say that I’m a Christian cleverly disguised as an All-American running back," he said at the time. "I’ve learned that God has blessed me with amazing talents. I’ve just been able to do a lot of great things with it, but at the same time, not losing yourself in it and understanding that my identity is in Christ."
Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a 75-yard touchdown to push his total to 2,497, just 132 yards short of the all-time FBS record. The title game also marked his sixth game this season where he ran over 200 yards.
But for Jeanty, Friday’s win was always a collective effort.
"This means everything. This is everything we’ve worked for, and to come out here and accomplish it, you’ve got to give credit to the team – offense, defense, special teams coming together tonight.
"It’s amazing, it’s a dream come true," he continued. "I love this team. I love the way we came together, the connection and the love we have is stronger than anything."
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, but the Buffaloes were left out of the Big 12 championship game and won’t make a playoff appearance. The ballots will be cast long before the CFP begins, but Boise State coach Spencer Danielson believes Jeanty has already earned it.
"In regards to the Heisman, I ask all voters to please just watch the film, watch the stats," Danielson said. "That will show you that he’s the best football player in the country. . . . If you’re a Heisman candidate, you should play in a championship game. And to see what he did in a championship game for his team also speaks volumes."
The Broncos captured the Mountain West Conference title Friday night and earned their spot in the sport’s first 12-team playoff with a 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West championship game.
Star running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown in his sixth 200-plus-yard game this season.
With 2,497 rushing yards for the season, Jeanty is now fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list behind only Barry Sanders (2,628 yards in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567 in 2007). Jeanty also finishes the regular season with 29 rushing touchdowns.
Jeanty gave Boise State a tone-setting play with a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, his 12th carry of 50 or more yards this season.
Boise State will hang on to or improve on its No. 10 ranking in the final College Football Playoff rankings that come out Sunday. That would almost certainly make the Broncos no worse than the fourth-best conference titlist and in line for a first-round bye.
The Big 12 title game on Saturday pits No. 15 Arizona State against No. 16 Iowa State.
The winner is in the playoff, but the only realistic route left for either team to earn a bye (and the extra $4 million that comes with it) would be to combine that win — preferably a convincing one — with a loss by the Atlantic Coast Conference leader, No. 8 SMU, which plays No. 17 Clemson.
The Big 12 commissioner and Iowa State’s athletic director are among those already crying foul. By the time the title games are over, and the brackets are revealed, they won’t be the only ones.
Now the country will turn its attention to the other conference championship games as the first playoff picture of the expanded playoff era will shake out.
Oregon, top-ranked and the only undefeated team in the country, is in, too. But Saturday’s game against No. 3 Penn State is for the Big Ten title and a first-round bye.
If Penn State prevails, then there’s an argument that the Nittany Lions could end up with that top seed.
In the SEC, it’s No. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia. Sadly, Bevo will not be in the building. The winner gets a bye and a championship. The loser should still be in, but if that loser is Georgia, the Dawgs could be on the road for the first round.
Depending on how the brackets shape up, these teams could face each other three times this season.
Barring something completely unexpected, it will take either a loss by SMU, a change of heart from the selection committee or both to knock Alabama out of the bracket. If the Tide make it, the Southeastern Conference will have four teams in the playoff.
Since the selection committee placed the Crimson Tide at No. 11 last week, one spot ahead of Miami, it looks very much like the Tide will stay ahead of the Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The way last week’s ranking shook out, that meant Alabama was in and Miami was out.
A handful of teams aren’t playing this weekend and don’t have much to worry about. No. 4 Notre Dame should get a home game.
No. 9 Indiana, one of four Big Ten teams projected to make the playoff, will probably be on the road.
In between, there is the matter of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee. Last week’s projected bracket paired the 10-2 teams in a first-round game to be played at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.
San Jose State University is off to the Mountain West final, but it seems like they wish they had earned their place on the court.
The Spartans are off to the championship game after Boise State announced on Thursday that they would be forfeiting their semifinal match amid the controversy surrounding trans player Blaire Fleming.
The Broncos made the announcement shortly after defeating Utah State in the first round of the playoffs. Boise State forfeited both of their regular season matches against SJSU, while Utah State had forfeited its only one.
In response to the Broncos' forfeit, SJSU said they were "disappointed" by the move.
"In this time of Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for those who continue to engage in civil and respectful discourse," San Jose State’s statement said. "We celebrate and support all of our students, including our student-athletes as they compete for our community on this holiday weekend.
"While we are disappointed in Boise State’s decision, our women’s volleyball team is preparing for Saturday’s match and looks forward to competing for a championship."
SJSU now awaits the winner of top-seeded Colorado State and No. 5 San Diego State; neither team forfeited against them in the regular season.
Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada were among the conference teams to cancel games against the Spartans amid Fleming’s presence on the team. They were aware the forfeiture would result in a loss on their records, which ultimately helped SJSU secure their high seed.
Earlier this week, Federal Judge Kato Crews in Colorado, appointed by President Biden in January, denied a motion for injunctive relief in a lawsuit by college volleyball players against the conference, in efforts to have Fleming not play in the tournament and their forfeit losses rescinded.
A dozen women jointly filed the suit against the Mountain West and its commissioner, alleging violations of Title IX and their First Amendment rights. Among the women are SJSU co-volleyball captain Brooke Slusser and two former Spartans as well as athletes from other Mountain West schools.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
The Boise State women's volleyball team made the decision to forgo any chance of winning the Mountain West tournament as they were set to face a transgender player in the semifinals.
After defeating Utah State in the first round, the Lady Broncos had a state setup with second-seeded San Jose state University, which has trans player Blaire Fleming on its roster.
Shortly after their playoff victory, Boise State said it would forfeit the semifinal game, thus automatically putting SJSU in the final.
"The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one," Boise State Athletics wrote in a statement. "Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday.
"They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes."
The Broncos' decision was met with lots of praise on social media.
It was the third time the Broncos forfeited against San Jose State this season; they also opted not to play in their two regular-season matches.
Utah State, which Boise State had beaten, forfeited its lone game against SJSU this season as well. So it's likely that no matter what, SJSU was on to the final.
SJSU, which received six wins by forfeit to help earn a high seed in the tournament, now moves on to the conference championship on Saturday despite never having to step on the court.
They are set to face the winner of San Diego State-Colorado State, which will be determined on Friday. Both teams played their matches against SJSU this season.
Earlier this week, federal Judge Kato Crews in Colorado, appointed by President Biden in January, denied a motion for injunctive relief in a lawsuit by college volleyball players against the conference.
A dozen women jointly filed the suit against the Mountain West and its commissioner, alleging violations of Title IX and their First Amendment rights. Among the women are SJSU co-volleyball captain Brooke Slusser and two former Spartans as well as athletes from other Mountain West schools.
Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada were among the conference teams to cancel games against the Spartans due to Fleming’s presence on the team. They were aware the forfeiture would result in a loss on their records, which ultimately helped SJSU secure their high seed.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
A shocking move came in the Mountain West Conference women’s volleyball tournament as Boise State announced it will be forfeiting its semifinal match against San Jose State on Friday.
The move is congruent to its regular-season forfeitures to the Spartans, and though no specific reason was given for this move, it more than likely has to do with the Spartans having Blaire Fleming, a trans athlete, on its roster.
The Broncos forfeited twice to the Spartans during the regular season, but after defeating Utah State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, they had them on the schedule yet again. This time, though, a spot in the conference finals was at stake.
After deliberation, Boise State decided once again that they won’t be taking the court against SJSU, and their season will end because of it.
"The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one," Boise State Athletics wrote in a statement, per OutKick. "Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday.
"They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes."
The Broncos and Aggies, a squad that also forfeited against SJSU this season, always knew the Spartans were waiting for the winner of their matchup on Wednesday night due to their bye as the No. 2 seed. Boise State defeated Utah State in four sets.
SJSU, which received six wins by forfeit to help earn their high seed in the tournament, will now move on to the conference championship on Saturday despite never having to step on the court.
They are set to face the winner of San Diego State-Colorado State, which will be determined on Friday. Both teams played their matches against SJSU this season.
The winner of the Mountain West will be heading to the NCAA Division I Women’s volleyball tournament, which is expected to be the only way a team out of the conference makes it.
Earlier this week, Federal Judge Kato Crews in Colorado, appointed by President Biden in January, denied a motion for injunctive relief in a lawsuit by college volleyball players against the conference.
A dozen women jointly filed the suit against the Mountain West and its commissioner, alleging violations of Title IX and their First Amendment rights. Among the women are SJSU co-volleyball captain Brooke Slusser and two former Spartans as well as athletes from other Mountain West schools.
Crews, however, wrote that the plaintiffs’ request for an emergency delay "was not reasonable" and "would risk confusion and upend months of planning and would prejudice, at a minimum, (San Jose State) and other teams participating in the tournament."
"The movants have failed to meet their burden to show irreparable harm, a likelihood of success on the merits, or that the balance of harms or equities is in their favor," Crews wrote in his decision.
The players were looking to have their forfeits for refusing to play against Fleming and the Spartans rescinded, which would, in turn, shift the standings heading into the tournament. They also wanted Fleming banned from the tournament.
Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada were among the conference teams to cancel games against the Spartans due to Fleming’s presence on the team. They were aware the forfeiture would result in a loss on their records, which ultimately helped SJSU secure their high seed.
"San Jose State University will continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms. All San Jose State University student-athletes are eligible to participate in their sports under NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules," the school said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week."
In case you still need a refresher, five automatic bids will go to conference winners, with the top four seeds going to the conference leaders in order of their CFP ranking with a bye.
The other seven bids go to at-large teams based on their place in the rankings. A team's playoff seeding may not be the same as its committee ranking due to the bracket system.
With that, here is the current playoff seeding:
1. Oregon — Big Ten leader (11-0, 8-0)
2. Texas — SEC leader (8-1, 4-1); ranked third
3. Miami — ACC leader (9-1, 5-1); ranked eighth
4. Boise State — Mountain West leader (9-1. 6-0); ranked 12th
12. BYU — Big 12 leader (9-1, 6-1); ranked 14th
The Boise State Broncos, led by Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty's 1,893 rushing yards, are now ranked ahead of Big 12 leader BYU (No. 14) in the CFP polls, giving them the No. 4 seed. But because BYU still leads its conference despite not being ranked in the top 12, it has a playoff spot.
5. Ohio State (9-1, 6-1); ranked second
6. Penn State (9-1, 6-1); ranked fourth
7. Indiana (10-0, 7-0); ranked fifth
8. Notre Dame (9-1); ranked sixth
9. Alabama (8-2, 4-2); ranked seventh
10. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2); ranked ninth
11. Georgia (8-2, 6-2); ranked 10th
This all means that, despite being the 11th-ranked team in the country, Tennessee is on the outside looking in, along with No. 13 SMU.
Colorado is ranked 16th in the country, but it controls its own destiny to a College Football Playoff appearance. Just about everyone else needs a lot of help.
A Colorado win over Kansas and a BYU loss to No 21 Arizona State would give the Buffaloes the Big 12 lead, which would put them in automatic bid territory. It would be up to the committee to name the Buffaloes a No. 4 seed, but they would still need to win the Big 12 title game to ensure a spot.
Oregon has been the top seed in all three playoff projections. It is the only team in the country whose playoff seed matches its CFP ranking.
A Miami loss to Wake Forest, matched with an SMU win over Virginia, would almost certainly cost the Canes an automatic bye for the time being, but it could also knock them out of the bracket entirely.
Oregon is off this week, so it will hold onto the No. 1 seed, even if the undefeated Hoosiers take down the Buckeyes in Columbus.
