{"id":248240,"date":"2025-07-30T14:49:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T14:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/248240\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T14:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T14:49:10","slug":"raiders-hoping-ashton-jeantys-physical-running-style-from-frisco-can-hold-up-in-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/248240\/","title":{"rendered":"Raiders hoping Ashton Jeanty\u2019s physical running style from Frisco can hold up in NFL"},"content":{"rendered":"

HENDERSON, Nev. \u2014 Ashton Jeanty<\/a> took a handoff Monday on the first day in full pads and appeared to be stopped for a short gain.<\/p>\n

But somehow he wiggled free and avoided tacklers for at least a 10-yard gain.<\/p>\n

It was a reminder of what he did at Frisco Lone Star and Boise State<\/a>, using his low center of gravity and strength \u2014 he can squat more than 600 pounds \u2014 to break tackles on his way to a second-place finish for the Heisman Trophy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And why the Las Vegas Raiders selected him sixth<\/a> overall in this year\u2019s draft, an unusually high pick for a running back in today\u2019s NFL.<\/p>\n

Cowboys<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

But how long can Jeanty hold up with such a physical running style, even with all the power packed into his 5-foot-8, 208-pound frame, remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

The Raiders apparently are willing to find out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAshton has his own unique style,\u201d offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to ever coach that out of him. I think he\u2019s amazing after contact and that\u2019s probably one of his biggest strengths. So our job right now is just getting him lined up, having him understand what our offense, what our scheme is and then let him go in terms of his running style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boise State certainly did that.<\/p>\n

Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing last season, coming up just 27 yards short<\/a> of matching Barry Sanders\u2019 college record set in his Heisman-winning season in 1988.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more remarkable, Jeanty gained 1,970 yards after contact, which not only set the NCAA single-season record, but also by itself would have made him the nation\u2019s leading rusher.<\/p>\n

Related:Why Ashton Jeanty\u2019s stardom is no surprise to his former Frisco Lone Star teammates<\/a><\/p>\n

Jeanty said he makes sure he stays at his physical peak by adhering to a nutritional plan and getting the right amount of sleep in addition to his on-field work.<\/p>\n

Something he is able to do now without the extra duties of classes and homework.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s most exciting, because you can become the best version of yourself,\u201d Jeanty said. \u201cYou can devote all the time you want to the game of football. And this game, you get what you put in. I\u2019m grateful for that and I\u2019m going to keep putting in and getting out great things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being available wasn\u2019t a problem in college. He played 40 games over three seasons, missing only two in 2023 because of a leg injury.<\/p>\n

If Jeanty remains healthy, he very well could deliver for the Raiders all that they hoped when they drafted him. He has shown elite footwork going back to organized team activities, but now with full-padded practices underway, there is even more attention to what he might accomplish.<\/p>\n

And Jeanty hasn\u2019t disappointed, earning rave reviews from coach Pete Carroll over his work the past two days. Carroll pointed to a shot that Jeanty took from linebacker Elandon Roberts on Tuesday that sent the back to the turf.<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t even faze him,\u201d Carroll said. \u201cA perfect reaction of a response. And then the next carry he busted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeanty carries a confidence that is easy to see, and he doesn\u2019t appear overwhelmed by trying to prove he can excel at the sport\u2019s highest level.<\/p>\n

Nor does he seemed burdened by living up to expectations of being the highest-drafted running back since the New York Giants took Penn State\u2019s Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.<\/p>\n

\"LoneLone Star player #2, Ashton Jeanty, finds a pocket as he runs for a touchdown during a Frisco Lone Star High School versus Frisco Wakeland High School football game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX, on Oct. 15, 2021.(Jason Janik \/ Special Contributor)<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got all the God-given ability in the world,\u201d linebacker Devin White said. \u201cHe can stop on a dime out (of) the backfield running routes, he can run in between the tackles and he knows how to stick his foot in the ground and go. He had a big run the other day, and he\u2019s so little that you just see him just pop out and you\u2019re like, \u2018Gah-lee.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI love competing against him. When we did one-on-ones (Monday), I went with him every rep. I didn\u2019t want nobody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeanty is being counted on to not only boost a Las Vegas rushing attack that last season gained a league-worst 79.8 yards per game, but he has been working at catching passes either out of the backfield and lining up wide on the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n

And he has been working at special teams as a return specialist. The Raiders are using their best players in that area of the game, including star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.<\/p>\n

\u201cJeanty is doing great for us,\u201d special teams coordinator Tom McMahon said. \u201dHe\u2019s a natural catcher, which is the most important thing. You\u2019ve got to have the ball first, but he\u2019s got really, really good run skill. He\u2019s just got an ability to square all defenders up. … When you can square somebody up, you can beat them both ways. He\u2019s been impressive, and he acts like a rookie and he works like a rookie. So, to me, that\u2019s straight respect for the vets, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more NFL coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HENDERSON, Nev. \u2014 Ashton Jeanty took a handoff Monday on the first day in full pads and appeared…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248241,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[230,257,7,14095,3530,1744,393,2455,2454,6,525,8896],"class_list":{"0":"post-248240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-las-vegas-raiders","8":"tag-cowboys","9":"tag-dallas-cowboys","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-frisco-lone-star-school","12":"tag-high-schools","13":"tag-las-vegas","14":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","15":"tag-lasvegas","16":"tag-lasvegasraiders","17":"tag-nfl","18":"tag-raiders","19":"tag-training-camp"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}