Boise State's Ashton Jeanty on Doak Walker Watch List

© Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

The Doak Walker Award has been presented to the country’s outstanding collegiate running back since 1990. It is one of the most prestigious awards in college football and is named after three-time All-American halfback Doak Walker of SMU, who played for the Mustangs from 1945-49 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1948.

The award recognizes outstanding performance on the field, in the community and the classroom. Greg Lewis was the first recipient of the Doak Walker Award in 1990. He rushed for 1,279 yards and 8 TDs for the Washington Huskies.

Boise State has been one of the country’s most consistent college football programs for the last quarter-century. The Broncos have posted 25 straight winning seasons, 18 10-win seasons and have produced some talented running backs during that time. The latest in that stable is Ashton Jeanty.

Who Is Ashton Jeanty?

Jeanty is going into his third season with the Broncos after recording 1,347 rushing yards, 569 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns in 2023. The accolades were many for Jeanty:

• First-team All-American by College Football News

• Second-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP)

• First-team All-Mountain West Conference

• MWC Offensive Player of the Year

• Academic All-Mountain West

Jeanty is as smart as he is talented. As a high school senior, Jeanty accounted for 2,646 total yards and 41 total touchdowns at Lonestar High School in Frisco, Texas. For his efforts, Jeanty received scholarship offers from Army, Navy and Air Force. In addition, he received offers from Dartmouth and Penn of the Ivy League.

Last season, Jeanty recorded six games of more than 100 yards rushing, including two games of more than 200 yards on the ground. Jeanty's season high came against Colorado State, when he rushed for 212 yards and 3 TDs in a one-point loss to the Rams. Jeanty produced four games with multiple rushing touchdowns and posted seven games in which he averaged more than 6 yards per carry.

Jeanty Entering 2024 Season

Jeanty enters the 2024 season as one of the most versatile backs in the country. He was named a preseason first-team All-American by College Football Network and the preseason Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.

Jeanty led the MWC in rushing with 112 yards per game and ranked No. 7 in the FBS a season ago. Jeanty and Boise State kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 31 on the road at Georgia Southern.