Bhayshul Tuten Taking Early Lead in Jaguars Backfield

Jul 29, 2026, 12:28 PM ET

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated writes that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten is taking the early lead in the team's backfield at the start of training camp. Tuten will be battling newcomer Chris Rodriguez Jr. in camp this summer, but early on, Tuten has apparently taken the lead. Rodriguez injured his foot on the first day of the offseason program and needed surgery, and although he's back for camp, he missed valuable reps as he attempts to learn head coach Liam Coen's offense. The Jaguars are not rushing Rodriguez back in camp, and he isn't working in team drills yet. Tuten got the bulk of first-team reps with the offense on Wednesday, just like he did during the offseason program. Shipley also wrote that Tuten "was frankly the most impressive offensive player of the entire day." He produced several big runs and "showed the same exciting traits that made him look like an ascending player this spring." The 23-year-old former fourth-rounder from Virginia Tech averaged only 3.7 yards a carry and had 307 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 83 carries as a rookie last year in 15 regular-season games (zero starts). However, with Travis Etienne Jr. now in New Orleans, Tuten has become one of the more popular Year 2 breakout candidates in fantasy. He's currently ranked as the No. 24 RB at RotoBaller for 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley