"Wow, look at the power this kid has": When Ashton Jeanty's high school coach shared how future Boise State star displayed brilliance at 12 years old

The road to being a Heisman candidate has been an unusual one for Ashton Jeanty. Yet, his football skills have been apparent since he was in seventh grade, according to Naples High School football coach, Jim Davis, who trained the Boise State running back while in Italy.

In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Davis remembered what it was like the first time he saw Jeanty, then a middle school kid, playing a pick-up basketball game during a lunch break.

“He’s going up for a layup and he’s getting so much height I’m thinking this kid’s about to dunk the ball.

“As a seventh grader, you can imagine how short he is. He’s 5-9, 5-10 now. So he was probably closer to 5-4 or 5-5. And it’s like, ‘Wow, look at the power this kid has at such a young age.’”

Davis knew that Jeanty had promise, particularly as an RB:

“I realized he needed to be the running back. I could get anybody to hand off the ball to him.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you that (I thought) he would be a Heisman candidate,” Davis said. “The only person that probably really felt that way was himself. But I knew he could play at the next level, and that’s why I knew he had to leave here to get the exposure.”

The now Junior running back with the Boise State Broncos still had to wait two years before showing his skills on the football field, as the sport was not available for middle schoolers. Once he made it onto the field, his athletic ability was evident.

In 2018, after spending some time at quarterback, Jeanty was given a shot as a runner and the results were a glimpse of things to come. He ran for over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns. Soon after, Ashton Jeanty traveled back to the United States, where he played the remaining three years of High School at Lone Star High, in Frisco, Texas.

Contrary to most Heisman candidates over the years, Ashton Jeanty didn't start his High School career in front of packed stadiums under the Friday night lights. In fact, Naples played some of its home games inside a dormant volcano because the Navy Support Site Stadium doesn't have lights.

When traveling for road games, the team would have to do it by bus, taking between 9 and 18 hours just to get to the opposing team's stadium.

Ashton Jeanty's father, Harry, is a U.S. Navy officer, and while he was commissioned in Naples, the younger Jeanty got to live a completely different experience compared to most other highly touted prospects.

Is Ashton Jeanty still in the race for the Heisman?

While Colorado Buffaloes two-way ace Travis Hunter is the frontrunner to take home the hardware, Ashton Jeanty should not be overlooked. The Broncos' running back has already rushed for over 2,000 yards, with 27 touchdowns through the ground. He's also accounted for 18 receptions for 102 yards and a receiving touchdown.

By the numbers, it's hard to argue against Jeanty's Heisman candidacy. With 2,062 yards, he could still challenge Barry Sanders' all-time single-season rushing mark, set at 2,628 yards. Ashton Jeanty has at least three more games left counting the Mountain West Conference Championship game and either the College Football Playoff, assuming the Broncos make it, or a bowl game if they don't.

Hunter's apparent lead in the Heisman race comes from him playing pretty much the entire time on both sides of the ball, as he takes the field as both a cornerback and wide receiver. On offense, Hunter has 82 receptions for 1,36 yards and 11 touchdowns, while he has also added 21 tackles and 3 interceptions on the other side of the ball.

Jeanty would become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry in 2015. Meanwhile, Hunter would become the second defensive player -at least part time- to get the award, following Charles Woodson in 1997.