The Jaguars head into training camp with their running back room looking unsettled in all the right ways. Liam Coen has already called the group “wide open,” and with camp set to open Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center, there are real questions about how this backfield will sort itself out.
The biggest name in the mix is Chris Rodriguez Jr., and he may be the most important addition Jacksonville has made since the 2025 season ended. The former Washington Commanders and Kentucky Wildcats back did not arrive on a deal that screams automatic RB1, but the Jaguars clearly view him as a major part of the effort to improve the ground game.
The catch is that Rodriguez has yet to be seen on the field with the Jaguars. He missed all offseason practices because of injuries, though he is expected back for training camp.
That timing matters because he is walking into a battle with Bhayshul Tuten, who spent the entire offseason getting first-team work while Rodriguez was sidelined. In other words, Tuten got the head start, and now Rodriguez has to make up ground.
That competition sits at the center of a larger question for Jacksonville: how exactly do they replace Travis Etienne? Etienne was used as a true workhorse in Coen’s offense a year ago, and the Jaguars now have two clear candidates in Rodriguez and second-year back Bhayshul Tuten. The real issue is whether Jacksonville leans on both backs together or settles on one primary option.
On paper, both can make a case. Rodriguez was never heavily featured by the Washington Commanders, but when he has gotten opportunities, he has been productive and efficient. He is also coming off the best season of his career, and his previous success under Coen at Kentucky has clearly caught the attention of the Jaguars’ staff.
Tuten brings a different kind of appeal. He has real physical upside and a skill set that can beat defenses with power, speed, and receiving ability.
He also turned in a strong offseason. Still, he has to show he can make a second-year jump.
Even if he looks better than Rodriguez in camp, that does not guarantee Jacksonville will hand the job to one back and call it a day. Coen has shown he can use multiple running backs, and that may be where this is headed.
Of course, even in a committee setup, somebody has to take the first carry and somebody has to lead the room in production each week. The Jaguars may not have a classic No. 1 back, but the pecking order still matters from game to game depending on the plan and the opponent.
And then there is LeQuint Allen, the second-year back who could easily get overlooked in all this. The former Day 3 pick made his mark as a pass blocker and special teams contributor as a rookie, but with Etienne’s touches gone, there may be room for more.
Allen was a strong receiver at Syracuse, and there is reason to think he can do more in that part of the game than he showed last season. With Rodriguez not really projecting as a passing-down specialist, Allen could still carve out a larger role even if he is not in the lead for carries.
He already proved he could help the Jaguars as a rookie. Now the task is to grow that role in year two.
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Anthony Campanile has already noticed the kind of habits teams want from a developing edge rusher, praising Williams for the way he works and learns. For Jacksonville, the bigger question is whether that early impression carries over once the pads come on and the competition gets real, because this is the sort of camp battle that can quietly shape a defensive need. [Read more 🡒]