Former Boise State star Ashton Jeanty goes viral for trucking San Francisco 49ers defender

Ashton Jeanty was a tackle-breaking machine during his junior season at Boise State. 

Jeanty forced 164 missed tackles last year and compiled 1,970 yards after contact. The Heisman Trophy runner-up led the country in carries (374), rushing yards (2,601) and rushing touchdowns (29) as Boise State finished 12-2 overall, won a second straight Mountain West title and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. 

During last weekend’s NFL preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Jeanty showed off his physical running style by trucking cornerback Deommodore Lenoir during a 13-yard run. The video clip went viral on social media. 

Jeanty ended the game with seven carries for 33 yards and a touchdown. 

Lenoir, who signed a five-year, $88.9 million contract extension in 2024, is tired of hearing about Jeanty’s run.

“Just to hear everyone down-talking me because of one play … out of 100 plays you can make one bad one, and people are just going to judge that one bad play,” Lenoir said earlier this week. “All the talking (doesn’t) really matter. “I know who I am, and I believe the organization knows who I am, and we are just going to go on and try to win us a Super Bowl.”

After the game, Jeanty said it “feels great” to run over an NFL defensive veteran. 

“That’s just my mentality as a runner, just to set the tone early in the game,” Jeanty said. “It takes time as a rookie to kind of gain that confidence. And I’m here, I've arrived, and it's time to keep going and make plays for this team.”

First-year Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith loved what he saw from Jeanty against the 49ers. 

“Man, it fires me up just seeing him the way that he runs,” Smith said. 

“He’s running through people, and he’s not shying away from contact. “I think he’s going to be a really special player — like I’ve always said — and I think he’s just got to keep working. There’s a lot of things that he can get better at as well, but to see him in space with the ball in his hands and how dynamic he is, it was great to see.”

A three-year impact performer for Boise State, Jeanty closed his college career with 750 carries for 4,769 yards and 56 total touchdowns. Jeanty’s 2,601 rushing yards as a junior rank second on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list behind Barry Sanders. 

The Raiders selected Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.