The Jacksonville Jaguars’ backfield is one of the biggest talking points heading into 2026, but LeQuint Allen keeps getting pushed to the side. That feels premature.
Allen had a real rookie impact for Jacksonville, even if it didn’t always show up in the box score. He handled pass protection duties for Trevor Lawrence, and he also helped create multiple takeaways on special teams. That kind of work matters, and it gives him a case to be more than an afterthought once training camp opens.
The clearest path to a bigger role is in the passing game. Allen came out of Syracuse with a reputation as a productive receiving back, and that part of his game barely got tapped last season.
He was targeted only 11 times in 2025, catching 10 passes for 54 yards. Most of those looks were simple dump-offs, not the kind of designed usage that really put his route-running and hands on display.
Still, the traits are there. He can run routes, he catches the ball well, and the Jaguars have already heard enough from Liam Coen to know he sees room for more.
"LeQuint I think showed so much in terms of the toughness, physicality, the care factor, third-down runs that he was really good at for us. I know he had 60 catches or so in college, so that's an area I think we can continue to lean into him as well," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said in April.
That’s not just lip service. Allen’s work in pass protection also gives him value that goes beyond the receiving game, and when you stack that on top of his college production, it starts to look like he has a brighter future as a passing-down back than some of the other names in the room.
There’s also the way Coen has used running backs before. In Tampa Bay, he found ways to get Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, and Sean Tucker involved. Jacksonville already leaned on Allen enough last season to keep him active as the No. 3 back, and now he’s a year more experienced with more trust from the staff.
The roster changes only strengthen that case. Travis Etienne is gone to the New Orleans Saints in free agency, and that leaves a huge chunk of work up for grabs.
Etienne played 60.09% of the offensive snaps last season, while Allen was at 22.52% and Tuten at 18.7%. That’s nearly 700 snaps from a year ago no longer sitting in the offense, and only Trevor Lawrence, the starting offensive line, and Brian Thomas Jr. were on the field more than Etienne.
Tuten should see a larger role, and the Jaguars also brought in Chris Rodriguez in free agency to help the early-down run game. But after those pieces are accounted for, there should still be room for Allen to take on more than he did in 2025.
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Hunter, who is working his way back after an injury-shortened rookie NFL season, was there with his family as the global spotlight shifted from football in Jacksonville to football of a very different kind in New Jersey. The social media posts added a light family moment to the scene, with Hunter joining in on the fun as the couple turned a championship atmosphere into a bit of offseason downtime. [Read more 🡒]