Ashton Jeanty named Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year

Hours before Ashton Jeanty took the field for his first NFL preseason game with the Las Vegas Raiders, the former Boise State star running back was named Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 athletics season.

Jeanty is the second Boise State football player to win MWC Male Athlete of the Year, joining fellow running back Avery Williams (2020-21). 

New Mexico track athlete Pamela Kosgei was voted MWC Female Athlete of the Year.

The MWC Athlete of the Year awards are presented annually to players who achieved excellence on the field and demonstrated great character on and off the field. 

“It’s a great honor,” Jeanty said in a video released by the MWC. “There are a lot of great athletes in the Mountain West, so I’m proud to be that guy, upholding the standard, putting on for the Mountain West.”

Jeanty was sensational during his three seasons at Boise State, recording 750 carries for 4,769 yards and 56 total touchdowns. He ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Travis Hunter. 

The Broncos went 12-2 overall in 2024 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. 

“I’m just proud of the way me and my teammates came together,” Jeanty said. “We took the coaching and we had this common thing around us where we wanted to win, and we came together under that common thing.”

Jeanty was a workhorse during his junior season and led the country in carries (374), rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He recorded 1,970 yards after contact and forced 164 missed tackles. 

“Ashton has his own unique style,” Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said of Jeanty last week. “I don’t think we’re going to ever coach that out of him. I think he’s amazing after contact and that’s 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.”

The Raiders selected Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Jeanty is part of a franchise reboot that includes new faces at head coach (Pete Carroll), quarterback (Geno Smith) and offensive coordinator. 

Jeanty could not find any running room in his NFL debut, finishing with three carries for -1 yards in Thursday’s NFL preseason matchup between the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. The game ended in a 23-23 tie.