Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty projects to be potentially the only running back selected on Day 1 of the NFL draft.

Would that be the case if the Heisman Trophy finalist had transferred out of the Group of Five to a college football program with more NIL opportunities?

Jeanty was able to make a national name for himself in the Mountain West conference in a sensational season that saw him nearly break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record. He led the Broncos to the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff.

While he could have accomplished that feat elsewhere, there’s always risk involved in portal movement. Sometimes culture, fit, and a pathway of development are more valuable to a player’s future.

Jeanty found all of those at Boise State. There’s always the chance that a change of scenery doesn’t always translate to more success.

It’s hard to weigh monetary opportunities that come with name, image, and likeness deals against less tangible factors.

Jeanty acknowledged that fact in an interview with Front Office Sports.

“Money is money,” Jeanty said. “It’s going to be hard to get these young guys to come to your school if they’re not being offered the amount they want, and they know they can go somewhere else and get offered those amounts.”

Jeanty’s decision-making has put him in a position to be a first-round draft pick. He could have entered the transfer portal and gotten a lucrative NIL deal. But what if his stock fell that year due to all the extraneous factors involved in changing teams?

He urges players to consider a holistic perspective and seek a college football program that will set you up long-term.

“You look at a player like me who went through Boise State, I was able to develop,” Jeanty said. “That’s the most important thing is to be able to play on the next level. The money you get right now, it’s cool. It’s great. But the money you’ll get in the NFL, that’s life changing. That’s generational.”

It’s not as simple as learning a new offensive scheme. A running back needs chemistry with his offensive line, and their styles need to mesh. A relationship with the quarterback is critical. It’s challenging to assess all the necessary things for success on short visits to other programs, where the dominating conversation is about NIL opportunities.

Jeanty also addressed a sage point about being smart with money and being financially literate on things like taxes. It’s a current pressing issue many states are trying to address via legislation that exempts NIL money from income taxes.

“First things first, you can’t spend all that money,” Jeanty said. “You have to pay taxes. So definitely that, like managing my money. Because being that young, I just turned 20, and to be able to start handling six figures as a young man, that’s a big deal. I’ve never seen that many dollar signs in my bank account. But I think the biggest thing of all is helping me grow as a young man to where I am today. More responsibility is what it comes with. Building a team around me to help me manage everything and building generational wealth right now before I even step into the NFL.”

With money often comes predatory people looking to profit off that wealth. Jeanty prioritized insulating himself with good people as he prepared for the NFL draft. It’s another solid choice for the Broncos running back who made a career for himself by choosing a path to the league over NIL in the transfer portal.