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Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty had a historic season, and while he would have liked to put an exclamation point on his campaign with a Heisman Trophy, Colorado’s two-war star Travis Hunter was awarded the trophy.

Jeanty, who finished second in Heisman voting with 309 first-place votes to Hunter’s 552, was certainly frustrated that he didn’t take home college football’s most prestigious award, but that didn’t keep him from putting things into a positive perspective after the fact.

“It wasn’t the result that I was hoping for. But I kind of just had to take a moment, debrief, and just appreciate the fact that I was even here. The fact that I was here is going to be so inspiring to many,” Jeanty told KTVB.

“It’s very hard to reach this status to be a finalist as it is from any school, but from a Group of Five school, it makes it that much more challenging. I’m proud of being here today.”

Jeanty’s sentiment about it being challenging for any Group of Five players to be named a Heisman Trophy finalist is certainly accurate. We have to go back to 2013 to find the last instance of a non-Power Five school being represented at the ceremony when Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch was a finalist. Kellen Moore, a fellow Boise State Bronco with Jeanty, was a Heisman finalist in 2010.

READ: Why I Gave My Heisman Trophy Vote To Boise State Running Back Ashton Jeanty | Barrett Sallee

Jeanty, who was unquestionably the best running back in college football in 2024, has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns on the year while averaging a ridiculous 7.3 yards per carry. He started the season rushing for six touchdowns and 267 yards in Boise State’s season-opening win against Georgia Southern and never looked back. He has scored at least one touchdown in 12 of Boise State’s 13 games this season.

Jeanty, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, still has the opportunity to build on his already great year with Boise State making the College Football Playoff and awaiting the winner of SMU and Penn State. He admitted that he’s even more motivated to put on a show in the Playoff after not winning the Heisman.

“One hundred percent. I think it does that,” Jeanty said when asked if losing the Heisman added a bit more fuel. “Any time, you have something that you felt you should have accomplished or you felt you should have been given.”