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Ashton Jeanty Shares True Feelings About Losing Heisman Trophy to Travis Hunter
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty officially declared for the NFL draft after having a monster final season in college. The 21-year-old star finished the 2024 campaign with 2,601 rushing yards (career-high) and 29 rushing touchdowns (career-high) while averaging 7.0 yards per attempt (career-high).

He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy but ultimately lost the award to Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter. Many sports fans and college football analysts believed that Jeanty was more than deserving of the award after recording the second-most rushing yards in a single season ever.

In a recent interview with Barstool Sports' Jon Gruden, Jeanty was asked point-blank if he was "ticked off he didn't win," the Heisman. The former Boise State running back kept his answer honest but seemed focused on his goals for the NFL.

Jeanty claims, "A little bit. You know, obviously, you want to win awards you've been working for. Everybody's been talking about [it] since Week 1, kind of putting that pressure on you. When I [saw] I had a chance to win it, I wanted to go after it. But, you know, things happen."

Not winning the Heisman Trophy isn't the end of the world for Jeanty. He's still projected to be a first-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft and is deemed the best running back by a wide margin in this draft class.

Additionally, Hunter's 2024 season was nothing to shrug off. The Colorado star played both wide receiver and cornerback and proved to be incredibly reliable in both positions. The 21-year-old two-way player is projected to be selected within the Top 5 in the upcoming draft.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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