si
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the infancy of their 2026 training camp, but that hasn't stopped early momentum from building around a key player in the backfield. Second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten has carried his impressive offseason form directly into the early days of practice, quickly becoming a focal point of the team's preparations.
Tuten's rise stems from a combination of opportunity and execution. Since the Jaguars' offseason program kicked off in the spring, he has been the primary ball carrier, largely due to free-agent addition Chris Rodriguez Jr. suffering a foot injury on the very first day of workouts. Rodriguez has remained limited to individual drills during training camp, leaving Tuten to handle the majority of handoffs from quarterback Trevor Lawrence over the past several months.
Lawrence has taken notice of Tuten's development, praising his explosiveness and vision during a press conference following Wednesday's practice. The quarterback highlighted Tuten's improved pass protection as a key area of growth, suggesting the young back is ready for an expanded role. “Really explosive, great vision inside,” Lawrence said. “Obviously has the speed as well to hit these home-run runs. And I think the steps that he's taken in protection this offseason have been great and he's gotten a lot better, so I think he can do more and more.”
While Rodriguez is targeting a Week 1 return and will undoubtedly factor heavily into the offense once healthy, the competition for carries is shaping up to be fierce. For now, Tuten is capitalizing on the extra repetitions, building crucial chemistry with Lawrence and the starting unit. The Jaguars' coaching staff has taken note of his consistency, with Tuten delivering at least one explosive run in every practice session, even against a run defense that ranked among the NFL's best last season.
Key Analysis
It's important to note that pads won't come on until Monday, meaning the true evaluation of running backs in a full-contact setting is still pending. However, Tuten's early flashes have been hard to ignore. His work as a pass-catcher has also stood out, including a red-zone touchdown grab during Friday's drills. With Travis Etienne's departure leaving a void in the receiving game out of the backfield, Tuten appears poised to fill that role, a facet Rodriguez may not replicate even when healthy.
Given his encouraging rookie season and the momentum he's built this summer, Tuten has a golden opportunity to solidify his place in the Jaguars' offensive plans. If the early signs from training camp are any indication, he is ready to seize it.