Ashton Jeanty is already one of the loudest stories out of Las Vegas Raiders training camp, and the buzz around him isn’t coming from one place. Yes, the new setup under head coach Klint Kubiak matters.
So does the outside zone scheme, the upgraded offensive line coaching and Tyler Linderbaum stepping in at center. But the praise Jeanty is drawing in camp goes deeper than a new playbook.
Three practices in, the talk around Jeanty has centered on a player who looks sharper, sounds more grounded and seems to be carrying himself differently than he did as a rookie. That matters because even after what the source described as a “rough” first season, he still finished with over 1,300 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. The bar is high, and the expectations are even higher.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko was asked after the first practice what kind of leap he expects from Jeanty, and he didn’t start with scheme at all.
"I think he's taking a leadership role, love to see that from him," Janocko said. "Love to see him just come with that enthusiasm every day, so we're excited for him and what he brings. And just keep coaching every single rep, getting better, being very deliberate on what we're asking him to do each and every day so we can build on his strengths to put him in a position to be successful."
Linderbaum, the Raiders’ $81 million center, had his own view from the middle of the line. He called Jeanty “special” and stressed what a back like that can do for an offensive front.
"Yeah, Ashton's a fun guy to be around. Extremely hard worker.
Another guy that just wants to be great," Linderbaum said. "Really excited to be able to play with him.
As an offensive line unit, the run game starts with us if we can block the guys up front. And then having a special [running] back back there to have the big regular runs is going to be really valuable and important.”
Even from the other side of the line, Jeanty is leaving an impression. Linebacker Quay Walker described him as “fast, electric, powerful” and said the two have already exchanged ideas while building a relationship during camp and OTAs.
"He's pretty good, man. He's so young, fast, electric, powerful.
I haven't really gone up against him in pads, but he's so explosive, smart as well. I try to pick his brain, he'll try to pick mine.
We had a talk at OTAs in a meeting, just speaking on each other and getting little tips from each other. So it's been pretty good, I'll say."
Reporters have also pointed to Jeanty’s breakaway runs and his growing work as a receiver. And the overall tone around camp has been clear: this offense wants to run the ball, and it wants to do it with force. Fernando Mendoza said that part of the plan is exactly what he likes most.
"The pass is sexy, [but] I believe that the outside zone scheme and schematics of the run that comes from the Shanahan tree is a great system, and it really complements off each other," Mendoza said. "It lets the offensive line and their talents shine.
It lets the running backs and their talents shine. At the end of the day, the game is built on the run.”
Still, the biggest piece of Jeanty’s next step may have nothing to do with the scheme. He admitted he spent too much time “being in his head'” during his rookie year, and he’s taken a different approach heading into 2026.
That includes changes off the field, from his diet to his recovery habits. He told CBS Sports that he is in better shape and has even cut out sugar, including Sour Patch Kids.
"I think just putting good stuff in your body and just trying to find ways to get better. Each and every single way possible," Jeanty told reporters on Thursday. "A better diet, better recovery, better everything, honestly."
He also spoke plainly about the lesson he took from last season.
"Sometimes you don't always get the results you want on the field, but you have to continue to be consistent regardless of the results that you get week after week," Jeanty said.
That kind of honesty fits with the broader shift around him. The building feels different, Jeanty said, and that matters.
The outside zone system should suit his patience, vision and speed, especially with the Raiders’ improved pieces around him. But the bigger story is the player himself: how he’s handling the work, the pressure and the reset.
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