What earns a 21-year-old rookie, fresh off the plane from Boise State, such a colossal comparison before his first NFL snap? Look at the tape – and the numbers. Ashton Jeanty isn’t just joining the Raiders; he’s arriving as the RB6 in early PPR fantasy drafts, the undisputed top rookie RB target. And he has garnered Marshawn Lynch’s attention. When Lynch, known for his own “beast quake” run etched in NFL lore, leans into the mic, his voice dripping with a mix of awe and streetwise recognition, the football world leans in too. His subject? Las Vegas Raiders rookie phenom, Ashton Jeanty.

“If [Ashton] continue on the path that he been on, he going to be something special,” Lynch declared on the Rich and Eisen Show on Aug 15, his words, indeed, carrying the weight of a man who’s seen it all from the trenches. “Like I think like how Saquon is.” He paused, letting the magnitude sink in. “Oh yeah. That’s high praise. Saquon.”

Lynch wasn’t just tossing out a Hall-of-Fame name. In fact, he was invoking the essence of Saquon Barkley’s legendary 2024 season – a year capped by a Super Bowl ring and an NFL record 2,504 rushing yards, combined regular and postseason. Specifically, Lynch zeroed in on the kind of play that transcends stats and becomes pure gridiron poetry: Barkley’s mind-bending, 360-degree reverse hurdle over a Jaguars defender. “He got the world in his hands right now, you know. That m———… I don’t know how they go—They talk about a Beast Quake. Brother done jumped up and did a 360 spin over a m—-. I said, ‘Oh my god.’”

The sheer audacity of the move left even the ultimate power back speechless. “Most running backs, I don’t think running backs think when they run,” Lynch admitted, almost chuckling at the absurdity. “But to do something like that? That’s crazy.” He contrasted it with his own, earth-bound, Skittles-fueled philosophy:

“Yeah… I really take my chances with my 10 toes on the ground, you feel me? But to see that? That’s impressive. Impressive, man. You got to give it up.” That play wasn’t just a highlight; it was a cultural reset, instantly immortalized as a new move in ‘Madden 25’ and landing Barkley on the cover of ‘Madden 26.’ It’s the gold standard of instinctual, athletic brilliance Lynch sees flickering in Jeanty.

Rookie resume & Vegas arrival: Why Ashton Jeanty commands attention

Jeanty’s final season was pure dominance: 2,601 rushing yards (2nd most in FBS history) and 29 TDs, forcing a ridiculous 164 missed tackles and gaining 1,970 yards AFTER contact. He didn’t just win the Doak Walker Award; he lapped the field, finishing as Heisman runner-up. This is the ‘elite group’ he’s joined – the rare backs drafted in the top 10, carrying the weight of a franchise’s hopes before their first carry.

His journey to Vegas is its own compelling subplot. A military brat who played ball on bases in Italy before exploding late in Texas high school football, Jeanty spurned flashier NIL offers to build a legacy at Boise State. His upright, almost nonchalant running style – drawing inspiration from Barry Sanders’ elusiveness and Derrick Henry’s power – is unorthodox but undeniably effective.

He’s “rocked up,” as teammates noted, possessing a quiet maturity coach Pete Carroll immediately recognized. “We made a big deal to him, everybody’s watching you, you know, and he embraced the thought of it,” Carroll observed after drafting him 6th overall. “So, it’s going to be exciting to see what happens.”

Carroll, the architect of Lynch’s Seattle prime, now holds the keys to Jeanty’s development. While the Raiders plan a committee approach initially, Carroll’s history with transcendent backs is undeniable. He knows how to harness unique talent, to channel that raw, instinctive brilliance Lynch marveled at in Barkley. Jeanty’s preseason debut (–1 yard on 3 carries) was a blip, a product of vanilla play-calling Carroll quickly dismissed. The real test comes on September 7th in New England.

Lynch’s prediction hangs in the Vegas air, thick with anticipation. He didn’t just see a talented runner in Jeanty. Indeed, he saw the potential for that jaw-dropping, game-breaking, ‘Madden’-cover-making magic.

The kind that makes legends and moves virtual mountains. Undoubtedly, under Carroll’s guidance, with the ghost of Beast Mode’s own legacy whispering encouragement, Ashton Jeanty isn’t just carrying a football. Indeed, he’s carrying the weight of a prophecy – one that could shake the NFL landscape all over again. The path is set. The world, as Lynch might say, is in his hands. Now, we watch him run.