The New Stable of Boise State RBs
As the Broncos enter the A.J. Era, a group of backs are ready to step up and exceed the standard
Chris Kutz
When one enters the Bleymaier Football Center on Boise State’s campus, a row of display cases with mannequins welcomes visitors into the lobby. The mannequins are donning variations of the Boise State jersey combos, from the classic All-Blues to the All-Blacks, a popular choice for some players. Among the five showcased jersey combos is a No. 2 blue-helmet, white-jersey, orange-pant combo, with the name “Jeanty” on the back of the jersey.
To one’s left in the lobby and across from the jersey displays, visitors will see a Doak Walker Award trophy also on display, with the name Ashton Jeanty eternally etched on the front of it.
As one makes their way up the stairs, a wall of names of Broncos who play or played in the NFL meets them at the end of the short hallway. One of the first teams that is visible, in the lower left corner, is the Las Vegas Raiders. Underneath the Raiders’ iconic logo, at the bottom of the list of players as the most recent entry: Ashton Jeanty.
And as one keeps making their way through the hallways, down to the position rooms, the running back room pops up on their right hand side. Hanging outside the door is a plaque commemorating last year’s Heisman runner-up — but who some call the People’s Heisman — with a name on it: Ashton Jeanty.
But when the door opens to the running back room, and one takes a look inside at the stable of Broncos sitting, listening and watching film, one will notice someone is not in that room: Ashton Jeanty.
Welcome to the A.J. Era: After Jeanty.
Replacing 2,601 rushing yards by one person is not a common offseason goal. The only other time a Division I FBS team had to replace a rusher who ran for more than 2,600 yards in a season was Oklahoma State in 1989. The year prior, Barry Sanders ran for an NCAA-record 2,628 yards (2,850 yards including the bowl game). Sanders, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1988, had 344 rushing attempts in the never-been-replicated season. No other Cowboy running back had more than 47 carries.
In 1989, Oklahoma State running backs Gerald Hudson (910 yards), Vernon Brown (511), Cecil Wilson (193) and Ronnie Fisher (16) ran for a combined 1,630 yards on 390 carries.
More carries, less yards, the Cowboys fell short of replicating what Sanders was able to produce and accomplish.
For Boise State in 2025, however, its running backs have one mindset: don’t be Ashton Jeanty. Strive for more.
“If (Ashton is) the standard, I want to be better than the standard,” said Sire Gaines, redshirt freshman running back. “I don’t want to fill his shoes. I want my own pair of shoes.”
“I don’t want to fill (Ashton's) shoes. I want my own pair of shoes.”Sire Gaines, Redshirt Freshman Running Back
There are currently six running backs on the Boise State roster, four of which have played significant snaps in their collegiate careers: Gaines, Jambres “Breezy” Dubar, Dylan Riley and Malik Sherrod. Two others, local product and redshirt junior Seth Knothe and freshman Greg Ard, round out the room.
The “Core Four” of the A.J. Era - Dubar, Gaines, Riley and Sherrod - will be tasked with the workload. Dubar, Gaines and Riley combined for 390 rushing yards on 67 attempts last season for Boise State. Sherrod, meanwhile, played in four games last year for Fresno State but finished up his career as a Bulldog with 2,155 all-purpose yards over three seasons, including 1,358 rushing yards on 248 carries.
Gaines played in three games as a 17-year-old true freshman last year. He totaled 154 all-purpose yards in the season opener and his collegiate debut at Georgia Southern, a total that was buoyed by 110 yards on 12 carries. He took the field on Boise State’s first play from scrimmage at No. 7 Oregon the following week and then was on track for a big day against Portland State in the home opener until he was pulled down from behind on a tackle near the sideline on an 18-yard run in the second quarter. The Perris, Calif. product suffered a season-ending injury as a result of the play, cutting short what could have been an intriguing complementary role to Jeanty’s record-setting year.
While Gaines was working his way back from the injury during the spring semester and missed the 15 team practices during the spring ball window, Sherrod made a name for himself as a newcomer. Sherrod, a 5-foot-8 shifty and versatile back is no stranger to Bronco Nation. Showcasing his play-making ability, Sherrod turned in 255 all-purpose yards for Fresno State against Boise State during the 2023 matchup. He had 132 yards and a touchdown on the ground, 28 receiving yards, and a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown to end the first half of a game that resulted in a 37-30 Bulldog victory in Fresno.
In three career games against Boise State, Sherrod had a combined 407 all-purpose yards.
“My dad always told me back in his day, they call it the utility man… where you can play any position,” said Sherrod about his ability to impact the game from multiple aspects. “He said being a valuable asset like that to a team is very important. It just brings more and more value to yourself. So I just try and be able to put myself in whatever position I can be to be impactful and explosive.”
Sherrod, who played for current Boise State running backs coach James Montgomery during their mutual time at Fresno State in 2022, has used his versatility to prove he is ready when and where he is needed, including a big role on offense.
“Everything,” said first-year offensive coordinator Nate Potter on what Sherrod brings to Boise State’s offense. “He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s very smart. He picks up everything really fast and he’s got unbelievable vision. He is the elder statesman in the room and provides not only the leadership but also the experience. He’s not afraid of the moment. He’ll go out there on third down and go protect the quarterback. He’ll go out there on goal line. He provides a lot of spark for our offense.”
Meanwhile, Dubar is entering his third year as a Bronco, a career that started in 2023 when he ran for 335 yards on 62 carries over 12 games as a true freshman. That season, Dubar was in a crowded backfield as well with current NFLers George Holani and Jeanty (there’s that name again). Last year, when Jeanty was slowed by an injury in the road game at Wyoming, he came through with the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter in what became a pivotal victory for the run to the College Football Playoff.
And then there is Riley. The former 100-meter sprinter in high school saw action in 11 games last year as a true freshman, with highlights including a 64-yard dash to the end zone against Portland State and an electrifying 96-yard kickoff return touchdown on Homecoming versus Utah State. Riley was a standout in the spring game this offseason, showing his ability to possibly take a big step in his sophomore campaign. He also came to Boise State alongside his youth football teammate, Gaines.
While Riley and Dubar have put in time as a Boise State Bronco and Sherrod has come in and turned heads, Gaines is the most anticipated member of the backfield. A season ago, plenty was left to be desired due to his injury. However, the six-foot, 217-pound chiseled frame of Gaines has used the time off the field to develop.
“He loves football. Loves training. Loves being a part of the team. That’s hard (when he has the game taken away because of an injury),” said Danielson at his pre-fall camp press conference. “But he grew so much mentally in that time, too. His mental clarity is in a much better place. He responds to adversity so much better. He’s a part of our leadership group. That is voted on by his teammates as a … redshirt freshman. That’s big time. That’s the level he is with his teammates.”
Gaines’ leadership also caught the attention of a newcomer like Sherrod from day one.
“If I'm being 100% honest with you, when I first came here, I was really surprised by Sire, being one of the youngest guys in the room,” said Sherrod. “I thought he was a leader. I thought he was one of the older guys. So it's just the way he carries himself, how he talks to us, and how he brings everybody around him together. So that should tell you a lot of just how he lives on and off the field. He does everything the right way.”
A year after certainty in terms of who is the “guy” in the running back room, Boise State is left to find a new entry into the Book of Running Back U. In addition to Jeanty’s name, there are the names of Cedric Minter (1977-80), Brock Forsey (1999-2002), Ian Johnson (2005-08), Doug Martin (2007-11), Jay Ajayi (2012-14), Jeremy McNichols (2014-16), Alexander Mattison (2016-18), Holani (2019-23) - and so many other standouts from a program that has 49 winning seasons in 55 years of football as a member of the NCAA.
However, as in years past, the next man up is already on the roster and ready to be put on display.
“There’s going to be high competition in the running back room,” said Danielson.