The Jacksonville Jaguars finished 13-4 in part because general manager James Gladstone did a good job of addressing the larger scale roster. However, he also inherited a talented core with players who hadn't been able to reach their potential. Trevor Lawrence is probably the first that comes to mind, as he played like a top-10 quarterback to finish the year. However, wide receiver Parker Washington and safety Antonio Johnson also broke up in Liam Coen's first season as the head coach.
Now in Year 2 of the Coen era, it will be interesting to see which other players can have banner seasons. A Jaguars voice came up with two compelling candidates.
Bhayshul Tuten and Caleb Ranshaw are Jaguars breakout candidates for 2026
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated shared his takeaways from the Jaguars' first day of offseason activities. He pointed out that Montaric Brown and Parker Washington broke out last year and believes Bhayshul Tuten and Caleb Ransaw could be next, arguing that both of them are going to take on bigger roles. Below's the skinny.
"The question now is who may be next? I believe the two big names to watch are Bhayshlu Tuten and Caleb Ransaw," Shipley wrote. "A pair of rookies a year ago, each should have big roles this year, and they could use the offseason program to start their momentum toward becoming potentially key players. Ransaw specifically stands out with his athletic ability and coverage skills."
On a related note, Shipley sees Ruke Orhorhoro as a potential sleeper. The Jags just acquired him from the Atlanta Falcons in return for draft disappointment Maason Smith.
Tuten took on a complementary role behind Travis Etienne last year. Nevertheless, he showed big-play potential in the playoffs, toting the rock four times for 51 yards against the Buffalo Bills.
With Etienne now with the New Orleans Saints, Tuten will be RB1 in the backfield. In fact, head coach Liam Coen said that the coaching staff hasn't fully taken advantage of his skill set, so the former Virginia Tech Hokie is poised to take on a big workload next season.
Ransaw, on the other hand, was competing for the starting job at safety next to Eric Murray. However, a leg injury that sidelined him his whole rookie campaign brought his bid to an end. The former Tulane Green Wave should be 100 percent by training camp. If he is, he could compete with either Murray or Antonio Johnson for a featured role.
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What the Jaguars should expect from Bhayshul Tuten and Caleb Ransaw in 2026
Bhayshul Tuten and Caleb Ransaw were part of James Gladstone's first class ever as the Jaguars general manager. He expected both of them to contribute right off the bat, but circumstances prevented them from doing so. In Tuten's case, he sat behind Travis Etienne. Ransaw, on the other hand, missed his rookie season.
But the team's brass is still high on both of them, which is why they're going to get a chance to prove that they can be game-changers. Of course, they'll need to earn their respective roles: Tuten will need to fend off free-agent acquisition Chris Rodriguez or any other running back Jacksonville adds in the draft. Meanwhile, Tuten will need to show the Jags that he gives them a better chance to win football games than Antonio Johnson or Eric Murray.
It will be a tough task, but the Jaguars believe both Ransaw and Tuten will be up to it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have drafted them last year.
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