The USC Football offense is off to a sizzling start this season, and a big reason why is the superstar play of starting running back Waymond Jordan.
USC leads all of college football with 676 yards per game. For his part, Jordan is fourth in the Big Ten with 209 rushing yards and also already has two touchdowns.
But one popular football analyst, Ray Garvin, thinks Jordan may be able to take his game to even greater heights, because he sees a bit of a certain Heisman runner up in Jordan.
“Waymond Jordan (5’9″ 210) is one of the big early season risers for me at the [running back] position,” Garvin wrote in a post on X. “Yes he wears #2 and stands just like Ashton Jeanty.”
The jersey number 2 is also the number Jeanty wore in college with Boise State and now in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. And Jordan’s tall pre-snap stance is sort of reminiscent of Jeanty’s old college stance.
Trojan fans obviously hope that Jordan can match Jeanty’s skill as well.
How Deep Does This Comparison Go?
Beyond the jersey number and how they stand in the backfield, just how similar are Ashton Jeanty and Waymond Jordan?
Well, they are almost the exact same build. Jeanty is listed at 5’9’’ and 208 pounds, while Jordan is listed at 5’9’’ and 210 pounds. Only two pounds of difference separate the two runners.
They also both like to wear a similar style of helmet visors and both have dreadlocks.
They even have similar playing styles. Scouts call both Jeanty and Jordan’s patience and contact balance two of their biggest strengths. They also are both players who have primarily focused on taking handoffs but are looking to expand their role in the passing game this season.
The biggest difference between the two of them is how Jordan will be utilized compared to how Jeanty was utilized last season at Boise State.
There’s almost no way Jordan puts up even close to the same statline that Jeanty had last year. That’s not a knock on Jordan at all. Rather, it’s a knock on the rest of the Boise State offense last season around Jeanty.
Jeanty had to carry the Broncos’ offense. He led the nation in carries in 2024 with 374, which is a big reason why he led the nation in yards with 2,601.
Jordan has a lot of talent around him. The USC passing game is thriving with Jayden Maiava, Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane and Lake McRee leading the way. And the USC running back room is also crowded. Eli Sanders has looked almost equally as impressive as Jordan and USC also boasts Bryan Jackson and King Miller in their RB room.
The rest of college football should be very, very afraid of the Trojan offense.
A Note On The Danger Of Comparison
The comparison between Waymond Jordan and Ashton Jeanty is a fun one for USC fans because it allows them to dream big about what Jordan’s USC career could look like.
But they should be careful that they don’t let the similarities between the two backs go too far and make them see Jordan as just another Jeanty, or a Jeanty impersonator.
Jordan is his own person and his own player who is attempting to carve out his own legacy. The similarities between him and Jeanty aren’t the sole traits that define him.
The media has gotten carried away with a similar situation involving Patrick Mahomes and Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola. Mahomes and Raiola also share similar physical attributes, wear the same number and have some of the same mannerisms, just like Jeanty and Jordan.
Raiola recently came out and said he doesn’t like to be called mini Mahomes.
“I’m trying to be my own guy, you know what I’m saying?” Raiola said in an interview with his Nebraska teammates.
So, the comparison to Jeanty should only be used to compliment and honor Jordan, and not be taken any further.
USC fans, what do you think Waymond Jordan’s stat line will be in the Trojans’ Week 3 matchup against Purdue?
Star USC Running Back Draws Comparison To Ashton Jeanty