Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The saying rings true among two Mountain West foes. In a fascinating turn of events, Spencer Danielson helmed Boise State Broncos and successfully lured a coveted recruit away from the SDSU Aztecs. Confidence in the Aztecs’ camp was seemingly high, and there were very few tremors before this earthquake rattled across the Pacific Coast. The player in question? EDGE rusher Jaden Williams is out of Mission Viejo High School in southern California.

That’s correct. California native Williams has decommitted from San Diego State just an hour down the road. He is now poised to don the blue and orange colors that football fans have become accustomed to this season, owing to the antics of Ashton Jeanty. The superstar RB has turned around the fortunes of his program. Boise State’s success this season may well have tipped the balance for Williams. On3 Recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett broke the news of the flip. 

“BREAKING: Class of 2025 EDGE Jaden Williams has Flipped his Commitment from San Diego State to Boise State, he tells me for @on3recruits” read the caption of Fawcett’s Instagram announcement. “The 6’4 250 EDGE from Mission Viejo, CA is Top 10 in all of HSFB with 23 Sacks (through 10 games). ‘Protect the Blue’🔹🔸”, he said. Well, QBs that stand opposite Williams will in fact need Protecting from the Blue. 

Williams’ flip comes as a surprise to people following the situation closely. When he committed to the Aztecs, he said, “I believed in coach Lewis and what he’s doing there, and I got to talk to a lot of players one-on-one outside of seeing the coaches, and they all believe in what he’s doing there”. HC Sean Lewis has done good work with edge rushers, especially. Aztecs’ sophomore Trey White was leading the nation in sacks earlier this season.

Fans on social media joined the discourse around why Jaden Williams chose Boise State. Naturally, there was a somewhat sarcastic notion that the reason was Ashton Jeanty. Albeit Jeanty has been a force in elevating the entire program through his individual exploits, he, of course, is destined for the NFL at the end of this year. The masses were quick to remind Williams of this in the comments of Fawcett’s post. Here are some of the best responses-

Fans flood the comments with praise for Ashton Jeanty

“Jeanty boutta change this program forever 😭😭” remarked one person, who acknowledged Ashton’s potential role in swaying Williams. “Jeanty effect”, said another. It is irrefutable that Ashton Jeanty has been a primary instigator in changing the perception around Boise State. The national spotlight he has brought to the program has widened their outreach in terms of recruiting.

Other fans also found some humor in the situation. “Whose gonna tell him Jeanty won’t be there next year?” and “Jeanty ain’t gonna be there, big dawg” were a couple of such comments that perhaps don’t believe the Broncos’ success is sustainable after their best player departs.

“Ashton Jeanty doing God’s work”, said one supposed fan of the Broncos. Whether or not his team ruffles any feathers in the CFP this year, they seem to have a platform for continued prosperity beyond Jeanty’s inevitable departure. Jaden Williams, for one, will certainly hope so.