Booger McFarland suggests Cowboys draft Ashton Jeanty: 'Don't be surprised if he's in the Top 5'

As Boise State made a run to the College Football Playoff, Ashton Jeanty put together one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory. It earned him a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony – and his NFL Draft stock is also on the rise.

Jeanty has been projected as a first-round pick in the 2025 draft throughout the season, and ESPN’s Field Yates had him going No. 12 to the Dallas Cowboys in his first mock draft. However, Booger McFarland predicted Jeanty could go even higher.

But if there’s a team McFarland wants to select Jeanty, it’s the Cowboys. He noted their issues at the running back position to suggest they pick him if he’s on the board.

“There’s a team in the state where [Andre Ware] lives in Texas, and it’s not the Texans, that needs a tailback,” McFarland said at the end of Thursday’s College Football Awards show. “Because in this day and age, it’s amazing how history repeats itself. We went way away with the spread offense. We’re coming back to running backs now.

“Don’t be surprised, Kev, if he’s in the top five in the NFL Draft because there are teams that need running backs that can carry them. He can do it all. He can catch the football also.”

Ashton Jeanty making strong case for Heisman Trophy

Jeanty put up impressive numbers to lead Boise State to a Mountain West title and a first-round bye in the CFP. In 13 games, he totaled 2,497 rushing yards – over 800 more than the next-highest rusher – and is closing in on Barry Sanders’ all-time record. That helped him earn plenty of hardware during the awards show, as well.

Ashton Jeanty won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back this year, as well as the Maxwell Award as the most outstanding player in college football. Of course, there’s one more award on his mind. He’ll be in attendance for the Heisman Trophy ceremony as one of four finalists for the honor, hoping to hear his name called Saturday night. Jeanty made his case to win the award during an appearance on Micah Parsons’ podcast, as well.

“First of all, all the Heisman finalists are all great players. I’ve watched multiple of their games, and obviously got to play against Dillon Gabriel, see him live, so they’re all great players. But I just think for me, you go week-by-week and watch the film, by Week 4 I wasn’t seeing anything less than an eight-man box. That means the whole defense, every single week, is geared to stopping me and they still couldn’t,” Jeanty said. “Some might have slowed me down, but I wouldn’t even say that because I just didn’t play my best, which is human nature. But I feel like there’s that, and for the people that want to talk about conferences, OK, whatever.

“But when I played in games against ranked teams, I put up big numbers against them and proved that it doesn’t matter who I’m playing against, I’m a great player on the field. And then, just for us to win the conference, not only that, but (also) make history and bring Boise State to their first-ever Playoff appearance, I feel like there you go. That was the final checked box, you know what I’m saying.”