As training camp approaches, the Jaguars’ backfield is no longer being framed as a three-man coin flip. Liam Coen has made it clear that Bhayshul Tuten is the one he wants to see take a real step forward.
During the offseason program, Coen described the running back competition as “truly wide open” between Chris Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. But on The Schrager Hour podcast, he shifted the spotlight toward Tuten’s ceiling, pointing to the rookie’s background, growth and explosiveness.
Tuten was a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech last year after starting his college career at North Carolina A&T, and Coen said he dealt with “a little bit of a learning curve” as he adjusted to the full scope of NFL life. That part of the process is behind him now, and Coen believes the next move is about letting Tuten play with more freedom.
“He does a great job of finding the end zone and his yards after contact and rushing yards, man - when he can get going and get downhill, I mean, he was 4.28 coming out. So he can fly,” Coen said.
“Now it’s more so, he was so conscientious about ball security last year and doing right. Okay, now Tuten, you got it.
You understand it more. Now just go be you.
Go do what got you here. Go be special, that’s who you are.
We’re definitely expecting Tuten to have a big year for us.”
The opportunity has changed, too. Tuten no longer has Travis Etienne in front of him, and Coen is looking for a bigger jump this fall after a season in which the Jaguars won 13 games, including nine of their last 10 in the regular season. That kind of finish raises the standard, and a breakout from Tuten would go a long way toward keeping Jacksonville in the AFC mix.
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What stands out most is not just the rsum, but how quickly Williams has started to look like he belongs in the mix. He has shown the kind of work ethic and playmaking ability that can make a late-round pick harder to ignore, especially when a team is sorting out roles and searching for dependable receivers. For Jacksonville, the question now is whether the early buzz around Williams is simply a spring storyline or the start of something more meaningful once the real competition begins. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Opens With One Big Readiness Question Hanging Over It
The Jaguars are set to open training camp July 29, with rookies due in a few days earlier and veterans following on July 28, and there will be plenty of chances for fans to get a first look once practices get underway. Jacksonville also has a slate of open sessions on the calendar, including public access around joint work with the Panthers and Buccaneers, as the team starts turning offseason planning into actual on-field evaluation.
A lot of the early attention will go beyond the usual camp buzz, because the Jaguars have already checked off some major business by locking up core pieces like Travon Walker and Brenton Strange. Even so, the first week still carries a familiar camp edge for Jacksonville, with injury updates and roster spots in play as the team tries to sort out who is ready to go when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]