Four-headed monster? Boise State stacks running back depth to replace Ashton Jeanty

Sire Gaines, Malik Sherrod, Breezy Dubar, Dylan Riley could all get carries for Broncos

Boise State running back Sire Gaines. | Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite the loss of Ashton Jeanty to the Las Vegas Raiders, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson could not be happier with the Broncos’ running back room entering the 2025 season.

Boise State’s backfield has four players — Sire Gaines, Malik Sherrod, Breezy Dubar and Dylan Riley — who could start for most Mountain West teams.

None of the four will replicate Jeanty’s historic 2024 production of 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, but the group has more than enough talent and versatility to keep Boise State near the top of the national rushing rankings. 

“Sire Gaines is very similar to Ashton in he’s wired the right way,” Danielson said last week at Mountain West football media days. “Loves football, loves his team.

“Everyone wants to talk about what they want to do. ‘I want to play in the NFL. I want to be first-team all-Mountain West.’ Sire Gaines puts that work in. … He’s just relentless, and that’s the mentality he brings.

Gaines had a monster start to his true freshman season with 12 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown in Boise State’s 2024 opener at Georgia Southern. Injuries limited him to just two games the rest of the way. 

Gaines is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the start of fall camp. 

“He’s going to be 6-1, 225 pounds,” Danielson said. “He embodies who we are at Boise State, which is that blue-collar work ethic.

“He’s ready. Getting hurt the third game of the season … when football is taken from you — especially a guy like Sire Gaines, who is so passionate about this game, passionate about this team — that’s hard. Seeing him battle through, seeing him go through it, seeing where he is mentally and how he’s grown, I think Sire Gaines is going to come on the scene in a major way.”

Sherrod, a Fresno State transfer, projects to be the No. 2 running back and lead returner on special teams. 

In his five seasons with the Bulldogs, Sherrod tallied 324 carries for 1,634 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching 59 passes for 349 yards. He was at his best in 2023, running for 966 yards and nine touchdowns on 172 carries. 

“He’s going to be a really good switch-up for our backfield,” Danielson said. “He is electric. He probably had the best spring of anybody on our team. From the return game to catching the ball out of the backfield to direct runs, Malik Sherrod’s going to be big-time.

“And then you’ve got Breezy Dubar and Dylan Riley, two guys who have also been there that have elite top-end speed, can miss you in a phone booth. I really like all four of those guys.”