Barry Sanders shouts out Ashton Jeanty with rushing record in sight: 'Got my popcorn ready'

Tuesday night, Ashton Jeanty has a chance to make history. The Boise State star entered the Fiesta Bowl 132 yards from the single-season rushing record – and the current record-holder is dialed in.

Barry Sanders, who set the current mark in 1988, said he’s watching the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Penn State. His 2,628 rushing yards hasn’t been touched since he passed Marcus Allen, but Jeanty entered Tuesday night well within reach.

The Heisman Trophy runner-up averaged 192 rushing yards during the regular season to lead Boise State to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Sanders cheered him on throughout the year, and he’ll be doing so again Tuesday night.

Got my popcorn ready @AshtonJeanty2 – Good Luck! https://t.co/5T7mRfkgEk

— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) December 31, 2024

“Got my popcorn ready @AshtonJeanty2,” Sanders wrote on X ahead of kickoff of the Fiesta Bowl. “Good luck!”

Sanders has been vocal in his support of Jeanty as he put together a regular season for the ages. The Boise State standout finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter in the closest vote since 2009.

But even though he missed out on the prestigious award, Jeanty still had Sanders in his corner rooting him on as he closed in on the 2,000-yard mark. That milestone meant there was one achievement to go – the all-time rushing record, which Sanders set 36 years ago. Jeanty saw the posts from the Hall of Famer, and although he didn’t always respond, he put the meaning of those messages into perspective.

“I think the first one was before the Mountain West championship, I seen that one,” Jeanty said. “Didn’t respond. Just was focused on ball and stuff. Then he tweeted again, kind of just in support of breaking his record.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have support from the person who has the record right now and, obviously, considered the best, if not one of the best, to ever play the position. Obviously, I told him thank you for his support. It’s just great to have the support of a legend.”

Growing up, Ashton Jeanty said Barry Sanders wasn’t necessarily his go-to player for highlights. But as he went through his college career and honed his running style, he started watching more and more.

“Growing up, I wasn’t really watching Barry Sanders,” Jeanty said. “But now more as of lately, definitely watched his highlights multiple times.”