IN 2018, JIM DAVIS had no alternative however to go towards his beliefs. Because the soccer coach for Naples Center/Excessive Faculty, a college for army dependents in Gricignano di Aversa, Campania, Italy, he had by no means began a freshman on offense.
He had had freshmen on the roster; generally 5 to 6 that not often noticed the sphere until the sport was out of hand.
However 14-year-old Ashton Jeanty compelled Davis to assume otherwise.
Jeanty had been in Italy since he was 12 as a result of his father, Harry, was a commanding officer on the naval assist base in Aversa, a small city close to Naples. Although the varsity did not supply deal with soccer to center college college students, Davis was enamored by Jeanty’s athletic skill in sports activities like basketball and monitor.
He recalled Jeanty beating highschool youngsters in sprints. And sooner or later, Davis watched Jeanty practically throw down a dunk on the basketball courtroom.
“That took plenty of energy for a child, who was possibly 5-foot-6 [and] 12 or 13 [years old], to blow up like that,” Davis, 54, informed ESPN. “Most youngsters do not even get to try this when they’re 18.”
At Naples, the expertise various with youngsters rotating out and in of the bottom yearly. Some gamers had prior data of soccer, whereas others have been soccer gamers looking for a brand new problem. In consequence, Davis by no means relied on the identical offensive scheme.
However when Jeanty, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, joined the squad, Davis’ sport plan was easy: Give him the ball by any means vital.
Throughout one of many Wildcats’ early practices, Jeanty displayed his energy, flattening a senior linebacker. From that second, Davis knew Jeanty was the actual deal.
“I used to be placing my cash on him earlier than the season began… He put that child proper on his butt,” Davis — who has coached at Naples since 2016 –recalled.
Jeanty was a person amongst boys, mentioned Davis. He traveled throughout Europe, dominating competitors on army bases in Spain, Germany and Belgium. The closest highway sport was a nine-hour bus trip, and because the subject on the naval assist base did not have lights, Jeanty performed residence video games on the close by Carney Park army leisure facility, positioned inside an extinct volcano crater.
He put his group on his again weekly. He guided the Wildcats to a 6-0 file whereas recording 1,223 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Davis would have beloved for Jeanty to remain at Naples for the subsequent three seasons. In a way, he was the group’s safety blanket. Every time the Wildcats wanted a successful drive, they knew Jeanty would ship. However Davis knew Jeanty’s future was calling him to return to america, the place he may take a look at his ability set towards stronger competitors.
From afar, Davis watched Jeanty flip right into a star at Lone Star Excessive Faculty in Frisco, Texas, and later a Heisman Trophy finalist at Boise State. And now with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jeanty is being tasked with an identical project that Davis gave him seven years in the past in Italy.
When the Raiders drafted Jeanty sixth general in April, it was evident that he would play a serious function within the offense. No working again has been drafted larger since Saquon Barkley was taken second general in 2018. Raiders coach Pete Carroll, who desires a run-heavy offense, has likened Jeanty to his former participant and Seattle Seahawks working again Marshawn Lynch. And throughout the offseason, Jeanty performed nearly all of his reps with the first-team offense.
In Yr 1, the Raiders need Jeanty to assist flip across the league’s worst dashing assault (79.8 yards per sport) in 2024. Davis and people who have watched Jeanty’s brilliance up shut know that he’s prepared for the problem.
“We made an enormous deal [about this] to him. All people’s watching you, and he embraced the considered it,” Carroll mentioned. “And so, it will be actually thrilling to see what occurs.”
LIVING IN TAMPA, Florida, Christian Albright nonetheless cannot wrap his thoughts round the concept that his former Naples teammate has discovered his option to the NFL.
On the time, he did not know he would share the sphere with somebody who would ultimately rack up the second-most dashing yards (2,601) in a season in FBS historical past, trailing solely Barry Sanders in 1988.
However, the indicators have been there.
“He should have been working for 200 to 300 yards a sport,” Albright, 23, mentioned. “He was bullying youngsters.”
Every week, Jeanty was certain to do one thing spectacular, mentioned Albright. Throughout the Wildcats’ championship sport, Albright recalled that Jeanty — who was lined up as an out of doors linebacker — recorded a pick-six. However his fondest reminiscence of Jeanty did not contain him making defenders look foolish together with his velocity and energy.
“He threw my first landing [reception],” Albright mentioned. “I’ll all the time cherish that second.”
Jeanty began the season at quarterback as a result of Davis simply wished the ball in his arms. The Wildcats integrated a ton of quarterback-designed run performs to permit Jeanty to beat opponents together with his legs.
After three video games, Davis determined to scrap that plan and put Jeanty at working again.
The video games have been comparatively high-scoring, and a few got here right down to a landing. With Jeanty on the sphere, the Wildcats knew they’d stroll away victorious.
“So long as we had the ball, I knew we had the chance to attain with him within the backfield,” Davis mentioned. “A number of occasions [teams] would put 9 within the field, but when he hit a seam and also you did not take him down, he was gone.”
The sport was too straightforward for Jeanty in Italy. A lot in order that even Davis knew his prime participant needed to face harder competitors and get extra publicity.
When Jeanty returned to america to attend Lone Star, it took longer than three weeks to indicate that he may very well be a menace within the backfield.
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The highlights that make Ashton Jeanty a prime NFL draft prospect
Try highlights from Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty as he turns into the latest Las Vegas Raider.
UNLIKE DAVIS, JEFF Rayburn’s introduction to Jeanty did not contain working the rock.
Jeanty was a sophomore when he lined up at security throughout a scrimmage forward of the 2019 season. He ran downhill and annihilated an opposing ball service close to the sideline, producing oohs and aahs from everybody round him.
“It was a type of hits the place all people stops and will get juiced up,” mentioned Rayburn, who has been the pinnacle coach at Lone Star since 2013. “That was our first glimpse of who he was going to be, regardless that he was a defensive participant.”
When Jeanty joined the Rangers, Marvin Mims Jr. was the main focus. Mims, a third-year large receiver for the Denver Broncos, holds the Texas highschool state file for receiving yards in a profession (5,485) and in a season (2,629 as a senior in 2019).
In addition they had working again Jaden Nixon, now a redshirt senior at UCF, who rushed for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns that season.
Given the established expertise on offense, Jeanty performed security and defensive finish throughout his first season at Lone Star, when the group went 14-1.
As a junior, Jeanty transitioned to fit receiver/working again and made an affect. Jeanty totaled 55 catches for 816 yards and 7 touchdowns. He additionally had 383 yards and a rating on 44 carries.
“He is a pure at all the things. There’s not a place on the sphere he could not play,” Rayburn mentioned of Jeanty, who obtained all-state honors as a wideout.
Robby Jones, the coach at Aledo Excessive Faculty in Aledo, Texas, referred to as Jeanty a “dynamic large receiver.” In his group’s victory over Lone Star in 2020, Jeanty managed to gather six catches for 120 yards. As soon as Jeanty grew to become the Rangers’ lead working again as a senior, he made issues much more difficult for Aledo.
The Bearcats took satisfaction of their run protection. Jones mentioned they centered closely on Jeanty, hoping to forestall him from producing an enormous play every time he touched the ball. Regardless of the Bearcats beating Lone Star by 10 factors, Jeanty completed with 16 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns.
“If we had [Jeanty], we might’ve had him within the backfield all the time,” Jones added. “Our line of defense saved him bottled up at some factors within the sport, however when you may have an distinctive athlete like that, he’ll get his yards.”
Jeanty crammed up the stat sheet. He racked up 2,645 all-purpose yards (1,835 dashing), 41 complete touchdowns and ran for 150-plus yards six occasions.
Amid Lone Star’s 9-3 marketing campaign, School Station Excessive Faculty in School Station, Texas, was the one group to carry Jeanty to underneath 100 yards. Defensive coordinator Probability Locklear mentioned the important thing to containing Jeanty, who had 71 yards on 23 carries within the 55-21 loss, was catching him on the sides earlier than he gained steam.
He did not need his linebackers to get into one-on-one matchups with Jeanty, so they’d a security play excessive. Although the Cougars contained Jeanty on the bottom, he nonetheless managed to file 70 receiving yards.
“We felt good in regards to the protection we had that 12 months,” Locklear mentioned. “However when he turned up the sphere and went vertical, we did not really feel like we had the velocity to run with him from the linebacker spot.”
Although Jeanty was troublesome to scheme towards, coaches admired how he introduced out the very best of their gamers. On the identical time, they questioned why Jeanty had been ignored within the recruiting course of.
“After we see a man like [Jeanty], we have a look at how they’re being recruited. Instantly, we felt like this man was approach underrecruited,” Jones mentioned.
WHEN COLLEGE COACHES visited Ryan Excessive Faculty in Denton, Texas, head coach Dave Henigan sometimes provided unsolicited recommendation.
Although recruiters have been there to satisfy former Denton and present Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and different gamers on his roster, Henigan would inform them to go to Lone Star in the event that they have been in search of a working again.
“I’d say ‘I have been a coach for 22 years and the very best working again I’ve seen was at Lone Star,'” Henigan mentioned.
Henigan’s message wasn’t obtained by most. Jeanty was a three-star recruit, and Kansas and California have been the one Energy 5 faculties to increase a proposal.
“No person listened,” Henigan mentioned. “I imply, Boise State listened. However I do not know what individuals have been taking a look at. To be sincere, recruiting is a really inexact science.”
Air Drive coach Troy Calhoun and defensive coordinator Brian Knorr listened. The Falcons have been among the many 15 faculties to increase a scholarship supply to Jeanty. Knorr was closely concerned in Jeanty’s recruiting course of.
Knorr mentioned Air Drive pursued Jeanty, meaning to make him a slot receiver. He admired Jeanty’s “no give up” perspective and his robust working skill. Knorr had no arduous emotions when Jeanty determined to signal with Boise State. Knorr even revered that Jeanty spent his total school profession with the Broncos as an alternative of leaping into the switch portal.
“It is humorous, the very best working again within the nation was within the [Mountain West Conference],” Knorr laughed. “He is so loyal.”
Jeanty’s presence at Boise State got here at the price of Knorr having to face the recruit he as soon as coveted. As a freshman in 2022, Jeanty recorded simply 53 dashing yards towards Air Drive.
The next 12 months, he exploded for 225 complete yards and two touchdowns to assist Boise State clinch a berth within the Mountain West title sport. Knorr mentioned Boise State did not attempt to disguise its sport plan. The Falcons knew the ball was going to Jeanty, who had 19 touches within the win.
Knorr mentioned Air Drive centered on gangtackling and having a number of eyes on the ball. Nonetheless, there was nothing the Falcons may do to decelerate Jeanty.
“Within the largest sport of our season, [Jeanty] caught a display screen and made six guys miss [on a 75-yard touchdown],” Knorr mentioned. “In his final two years, he bought so robust that you simply needed to be a fantastic tackler to carry him down as one man.”
JEANTY’S FINAL SEASON at Boise State was monumental. Typically Davis needed to stand up early within the morning, Italy time, to bear witness to his former participant making school soccer historical past.
“It was like watching him run round on the sphere as a freshman in highschool,” Davis mentioned. “It was eerily related.”
Jeanty averaged 185.8 yards per sport and picked up 29 touchdowns — tied for the seventh-most in a season in FBS historical past. He rushed for not less than 200 yards on six events whereas propelling the Broncos to a 12-2 file and a spot within the School Soccer Playoff, the place they confronted Penn State within the quarterfinals.
Former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Tom Allen coached towards loads of gifted working backs throughout his profession. When Allen was watching Jeanty’s sport movie in preparation for the matchup, he noticed shades of former LSU working again Leonard Fournette — the fourth choose within the 2017 NFL draft.
“Fournette would in all probability be the closest comparability as a result of [Jeanty] is so highly effective. That is the place it is totally different,” mentioned Allen, now the defensive coordinator at Clemson. “His legs are so massive and robust, and he throws individuals off.”
Allen and his squad have been excited to check themselves towards Jeanty. The Nittany Lions had a formidable protection in 2024. They have been sixth within the Massive Ten Convention in dashing yards allowed (101.9 per sport) and third in factors (16.5).
Jeanty was 131 yards shy of tying Sanders’ single-season dashing file. Penn State, nevertheless, did not plan on letting him rewrite the file e-book.
“Now we have plenty of guys who wish to play within the NFL. I mentioned, ‘Effectively, right here you go. You’re going towards an NFL working again,'” Allen mentioned.
In Penn State’s 31-14 win over Boise State, Allen’s protection completed its aim of containing Jeanty, nevertheless it wasn’t straightforward. Certainly, Jeanty did not rating a dashing landing and was held to three ½ yards per carry — the bottom since 2023.
The Nittany Lions had a layer of gamers on the level of assault in order that Jeanty would not break unfastened for lengthy runs. And but, he nonetheless managed to file 104 yards regardless that it took 30 makes an attempt to take action.
“To have that form of goal out of your opponent and nonetheless have the ability to get yards exhibits you [how great he is],” Allen mentioned.
“And that is why I sought him out after the sport. I’ve a lot respect for him. He is among the best working backs I’ve ever coached towards.”
DURING THE FIRST night time of the NFL draft, Davis hoped Jeanty was chosen early for egocentric causes. He awakened round 2 am to observe the occasion, and the faster Jeanty was chosen, the earlier he may return to mattress.
Thankfully, the Raiders granted his want.
Las Vegas and Jeanty appeared like an ideal match earlier than the franchise made its draft alternative. When Carroll was launched as the pinnacle coach, he emphasised the significance of getting a powerful working sport to assist the quarterback. In the meantime, basic supervisor John Spytek favored how the Philadelphia Eagles gained a Tremendous Bowl primarily based on an environment friendly dashing assault led by Barkley.
As a result of Raiders’ emphasis on a powerful dashing assault after being close to the underside in each main dashing class, Jeanty can be requested to do some heavy lifting straight away.
He walked into the constructing because the clear-cut starter. And to this point, Las Vegas has handled him as such. Jeanty is anticipated to be a focus of the offense together with quarterback Geno Smith, tight finish Brock Bowers and large receiver Jakobi Meyers.
If the Raiders really wish to have a shot at competing for the postseason, Jeanty should reside as much as the expectations he positioned on himself.
There’s confidence throughout the constructing that he can.
“All of the hype is actual, and I am tremendous excited to dam for him,” Raiders middle Jackson Powers-Johnson mentioned. “Perhaps get some celebrations. He is a fantastic TikTok dancer, so possibly get my hips loosened up somewhat bit.”
Stated Meyers: “If he may are available and do what I believe and hope he can do, I really feel like it will be a enjoyable 12 months for us.”
Although the Raiders weren’t in pads throughout OTAs and minicamp, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly mentioned Jeanty’s performances towards Oregon and Penn State in 2024 present optimism for the 21-year-old’s potential on offense.
Each video games demonstrated to Kelly that Jeanty can play at a excessive degree, whatever the competitors.
“That was somewhat bit totally different league for Boise at the moment, however not for Ashton when it comes to what he did,” Kelly mentioned. “[I’m] excited to see him.”
Identical to Jeanty’s freshman 12 months at Naples, he can be requested to play an integral function from the soar. He has proven that he is up for the problem.
“From being the highest canine right here as a freshman 12 months to [not getting] to run the ball once more till his senior 12 months, plenty of youngsters may need give up, however he was decided,” Davis mentioned.