The NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars selected former HBCU running back Bhayshul Tuten of North Carolina A&T with the No. 104 pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Tuten, who was the fastest running back at the NFL Combine earlier this year, spent the first two years of his college football career at NC-HBCU North Carolina A&T before transferring to Virginia Tech for his final two seasons. As a freshman, Tuten rushed for 215 yards on 37 carries while exploding for 1,363 yards on 208 carries and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore under former Aggies head coach Sam Washington.
Tuten joins the list of former Aggie players who were selected in the NFL draft. Some of the program’s most recent players include running back Tarik Cohen (4th round, No. 119, Chicago Bears) in 2017, offensive lineman Brandon Parker (3rd round, No. 65, Oakland Raiders) in 2018 and defensive end Darryl Johnson Jr. (7th round, No. 225, Buffalo Bills) in 2019.
Following his transfer after the 2022 season, Tuten brought an immediate impact to the Hokies’ offense. In 2023, the 5-foot-9, 206-pound running back rushed for 863 yards on 173 carries, averaged 5.0 yards per carry, and notched 10 touchdowns. He also made an impact in Virginia Tech’s passing game as he tallied 239 yards on 27 receptions and two touchdowns.
In the 2024 campaign, Tuten compiled 1,240 yards from scrimmage — 1,159 rushing yards on 183 carries and 81 receiving yards on 23 receptions — and recorded 17 touchdowns, with 15 of them coming on the ground. Tuten earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in back-to-back seasons at Virginia Tech.
Bhayshul Tuten became the third player from the ACC school selected by Jacksonville in the NFL draft and the first since the Jaguars selected Ernest Wilford in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft. The Jaguars started this year’s draft by selecting former Jackson State/Colorado two-way star and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall on Thursday.