One Jacksonville Jaguars’ second-year player on offense was named a breakout candidate for the 2026 NFL season by Sports Illustrated.
Justin Melo recently compiled his list of sophomores who could put together a big season in Year 2. Among those listed was Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten.
“The Jacksonville Jaguars made the difficult decision to let lead running back Travis Etienne Jr. walk in free agency,” Melo wrote. “They had been preparing for his inevitable departure. Sophomore back Bhayshul Tuten will be tasked with replacing the majority of his production. The Jaguars also signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, but it’s Tuten who clearly possesses the most upside. Tuten will seize this opportunity.”
How exactly the running back room shakes out for the Jaguars remains to be seen at this point. Tuten will certainly be a big factor, but the early expectation is that this unit will be often rotated, with Chris Rodriguez and LeQuint Allen seeing regular snaps as well.
For now, we don’t even know who will be RB1 on the depth chart. That said, Tuten may be the front-runner for that role following offseason programs. With Rodriguez sidelined with an injury, Tuten saw a lot of first-team reps.
“He continues to look like one of the most explosive elements of the entire offense,” wrote Jaguars on SI’s John Shipley following an offseason practice.
Tuten brings impressive speed and home run ability to the Jaguars backfield.
“Playing with the ball out of my hands is the biggest thing I’m harping on, pass protection, catching out the backfield,” Tuten said. “I’m working with the ball in my hand, running landmarks and reads and vision and all that kind of stuff. But I think the biggest thing I’m focusing on is ball out of hand.”
Backing up Travis Etienne last season, Tuten finished the year rushing for 358 yards, including the postseason, scoring five touchdowns on the ground.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ second year player named breakout candidate for 2026 season
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
