Bhayshul Tuten is Ready to be Jaguars' RB1 Next Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars might have to part ways with Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, but they might already have the perfect replacement ready.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for ways to tangibly improve their team after an encouraging 2025 NFL season that saw them win 13 games and make a return to the postseason. Unfortunately, General Manager James Gladstone won't have many means to upgrade the roster, due to the franchise's limited cap space and lack of a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. However, the Jaguars could get significantly better simply through internal development.

This roster is loaded with young talent, featuring up-and-comers like Brian Thomas Jr., Brenton Strange, Parker Washington, Jarrian Jones, Antonio Johnson, and Travis Hunter Jr. Some of their prospects will be expected to fill in for key players whom the Jaguars might have to let go this offseason. In that regard, Bhayshul Tuten has to be prepared to take over as the new starting running back in place of Travis Etienne Jr.

Dec 14, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) returns a kickoff against the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Bhayshul Tuten is ready

The Jacksonville Jaguars got a steal in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten. He steadily impressed early on in training camp, leading the team's brass to confidently trade away Tank Bigsby, their former backup to Travis Etienne Jr., to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth- and sixth-round pick in 2026.

Tuten proved to be worth the gamble throughout the campaign, too. ETN was a true workhorse for the Jaguars this year, carrying nearly 66 percent of the team's designed handoffs. However, Tuten made the most of his limited opportunities. While his baseline numbers don't jump off the page, with 307 yards on 83 attempts, a deeper dive into the statistics showed that he was an incredibly efficient runner, especially in short-yardage situations.

Bhayshul Tuten (Among Top-60 RBs)

12th in Missed Tackle % (21.7%)
16th in Yards After Contact (3.22)

Data: PFF pic.twitter.com/u51RdiuL3Q

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) January 21, 2026

With five rushing touchdowns, he accounted for over 22 percent of Jacksonville's scores on the ground.

Most importantly, he had a success rate of 57.8 percent, which calculates how many of his attempts go for over 40 percent of the yardage needed for a conversion on first down, 60 percent on second, and 100 percent on third and fourth. For comparison, ETN was at 46.9 percent this year and his career best is 50.9. Derrick Henry has only crossed 57.8 percent once, last season when he hit 58.8.

That's not to say that Tuten is a perfect running back by any means. He still has plenty of room to improve with his vision, receiving, and pass-protecting. The Jaguars should find comfort in knowing that he can aptly pound the rock for them moving forward, though.

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