Braxton Jennings bet on himself, and it paid dividends.
The 2025 Ashland graduate had multiple football scholarship offers on the table. Still, he saw the University of Louisville program as the right fit for him, so he decided to trust in his abilities and joined the Cardinals as a walk-on.
By the end of the season, he took home the Howard Schnellenberger Most Valuable Player Award and earned a scholarship.
"I just knew that I was there for a reason," Jennings said. "Every day I just continued to get 100 % better and wait for my number to be called. I knew I'd get my moment."
Ashland coach Chad Tackett said it was clear that Jennings knew what he wanted and what his abilities could provide.
"He just believed in himself and his capabilities," Tackett said. "He had some offers early on from some FBS schools, but he was holding out for a Power 5 offer. Louisville had shown great interest from the get-go, but they thought he needed to come in and prove himself, and they would go from there as far as a scholarship goes."
Jennings said he focused on where he felt he was meant to be.
"I always believed in myself," Jennings said. "During the off-season of my senior year, I was training, training, training. But while I was training, I kept praying because I was wondering about the next step in my life. I was praying and just saying, 'Jesus, take the wheel. I'm just giving it all to You.' He guided me to go play at Louisville; I 100% believe that in my heart. So, I went to Louisville"
According to Jennings, Louisville running backs coach Chris Barclay was the only one who knew him because the running back room was so loaded with talent.
Despite that, Jennings said he knew he'd get his moment as long as he continued to stay ready.
Little did he know that moment came in what is typically the most anticipated game of the season, the Governor's Cup against Kentucky.
After all of the scholarship running backs were unavailable for various reasons, it was up to Jennings to step into the role of lead back as a true freshman walk-on.
"Having my number called against Kentucky was a big moment for me," Jennings said. "I've never seen a whole room of running backs go down like that. They went down, and I just knew I was ready because I'd been putting in the work all season, just waiting for my number to be called."
Jennings collected 113 yards on 20 carries in the game, the high mark for all rushers in the contest. That performance earned him the Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award as the Cardinals roughed up the Wildcats, 41-0.
He is the first walk-on in Louisville history to rush for 100 yards or more in a single game.
The performance was enough to put Jennings in line for a scholarship to continue his career with the Cardinals.
"Coming in as a walk-on, I didn't really view myself as a walk-on," Jennings said. "I knew I was a scholarship player. I just had to get on that field and prove it. Earning the scholarship is a big thing for me and a blessing from God, because I 100% believe He told me to come to Louisville to prove myself and earn it. I definitely believe I came here for a reason."
Tackett said Jennings's performance in the game was indicative of the "next man up" mentality that Jennings has displayed since his earliest days at Ashland.
"It's one of those things about college, when your number's called, you've got to be ready," Tackett said. "He got his opportunity and made the most of it. In that situation, that's what you have to do, because if you don't, you go back to the bench and bide your time. He stepped up and he got rewarded with the scholarship."
Tackett isn't surprised to see Jennings excelling in his role. Jennings racked up 3,166 rushing yards during his time with the Tomcats jersey, a feat that came through the hard work Tackett observed throughout Jennings' time at Ashland.
"He worked really hard on developing his body," Tackett said. "I think early on, probably his freshman and sophomore year, he was a little undersized, and he knew that was something he needed to fix. He made a great conscious effort going into his junior year to get up and put in extra work at the YMCA before school, especially while he was playing basketball. It really paid off."
Jennings credits his hard work ethic and goal-oriented approach to the game to his father, Chris, a former running back star at Fairview.
"That comes from growing up around football," Jennings said. "My dad played at the University of Arizona and then went on to play in the NFL. That really put a chip on my shoulder, and I knew ever since then that I could do it. If my dad can do it, then I definitely have the DNA and the genetics to do it."
Jennings's success at the next level is a point of pride for Ashland and serves as an example for current and future Tomcats for where they can go with the game of football.
"His success is great," Tackett said. "We've had several kids go on and play at the next level. I think we're a destination where we can promote kids and get them an opportunity. We've got Braxton and also Jordan Jones, who graduated in 2022, who just made All-MAC at Ohio University and has transferred to Troy. So, we've got two kids playing Division I football. If that's something on your radar that you want to do, I think Ashland's the place for you."
Jennings knows his accomplishments to date are special, and he's glad he can be an example to players from the area, showing that hard work pays off.
"Living in Ashland and going to high school there, not very many people make it out to go D1," Jennings said. "With me doing this, it is a blessing to show kids that you can do it. If you put your heart into it, then you can definitely do it."
