Barry Sanders to Ashton Jeanty: 'Will Be Watching for You in the NFL' After CFP Loss

Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders saluted Boise State's Ashton Jeanty after the Heisman Trophy runner-up's season came to an end Tuesday night.

Jeanty ran for 104 yards on 30 carries in a 31-14 loss to Penn State, leaving him 28 yards short of breaking Sanders' single-season rushing record. The Detroit Lions legend congratulated Jeanty "on a great season" and added he'll be following his exploits in the NFL:

If Jeanty had gone on to claim the record, Sanders would've remained the rightful holder in the eyes of some fans.

During the 1988 season, Sanders' 2,628 yards came in just 11 appearances since Oklahoma State's Holiday Bowl win over Wyoming didn't count toward his official tally. When including that performance, he had 2,850 yards on the ground.

Jeanty's output was spread across 14 games and it would've been 16 if Boise State advanced all the way to the national championship game.

Especially with the expanded playoff, expect to see a lot of single-season and career records fall over the next few years because players are having more opportunities to pad their stats compared to past generations.

Between the Fiesta Bowl loss and failing to set the record, Tuesday brought a deflating end to an otherwise excellent campaign for Jeanty. Now, he'll be setting his sights on the pros and try to solidify himself as a first-round prospect in the 2025 NFL draft.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Jeanty sixth among the running backs who were Day 1 selections going back to 2013 and said the Broncos star "could easily get picked in the 10-15 range." He's the No. 10 overall player on Bleacher Report's 2025 big board.