Along with Colorado Buffaloes’ Shedeur Sanders and Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward, Boise State Broncos’ Ashton Jeanty is expected to go pro for next year’s NFL draft. If he makes it to the league, the closest comparison he’ll get as a professional is LaDainian Tomlinson, as noted by ESPN’s NFL analysis.
Jeanty has taken college football by storm this season, rushing for 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns in just nine games. His dominant performances have earned him the third-best odds for the Heisman Trophy, trailing only Dillon Gabriel and Travis Hunter.
The running back’s exploits have drawn comparisons to the legendary Barry Sanders, who set FBS single-season records with 2,628 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns in 1988. If the Broncos’ star continues his torrid pace, he could challenge those historic marks, showcasing his remarkable talent and potential.
NFL fans are understandably excited about the college football star’s future, with many speculating about his potential landing spots in the 2025 Draft. Some have suggested the Dallas Cowboys as a perfect fit, given his connections to the state of Texas and the team’s need for a dynamic running back.
Jeanty himself has joked about the prospect of joining the Arizona Cardinals and forming the “shortest backfield in the NFL” alongside quarterback Kyler Murray. While the Cardinals may be out of reach, the Cowboys could be a realistic destination if they land a high draft pick, as they currently lack a reliable running game.
With the Heisman race heating up and the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon, the running back’s future is beginning to captivate the college football community. His combination of production, potential, and charisma has fans eagerly anticipating what he will do next, both in the final stretch of the season and in his professional career.
ESPN Analysis Names Former NFL Star LaDainian Tomlinson as College Football Star Ashton Jeanty’s Pro Comparison
Jeanty’s performance in college has drawn a lot of rave reviews lately. According to an analysis by ESPN’s Matt Miller, his pro comparison is former NFL star LaDainian Tomlinson.
Best player comp: LaDainian Tomlinson. Standing 5-foot-9, Jeanty doesn’t have the size of Christian McCaffrey or Bijan Robinson, but he does have elite short-area quickness, great lower-body power at 215 pounds and a knack for finding creases in the defense and exploiting them with breakaway speed. He’s also an accomplished receiver, catching 16 passes out of the backfield this season. Like Tomlinson (now retired) was when he was coming out of TCU, Jeanty is an explosive all-purpose running back packed into a shorter build. He already has 1,734 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns this season.
Jeanty has drawn lofty comparisons to Tomlinson by ESPN. With over 1,700 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in just nine games, His dynamic playmaking ability and game-breaking speed evoke memories of Tomlinson’s dominance. Analysts suggest the college football star’s combination of power, vision, and explosiveness could make him a top-5 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a rarity for running backs in recent years.
If Jeanty continues his torrid pace, he could challenge FBS single-season records and cement his status as one of the most electrifying prospects in recent memory. And with the potential to make an immediate impact at the next level like Tomlinson did, as projected by ESPN, sky is the limit for the college football star.
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