I
t is a good week in the world of football. All 32 teams will open training camp this week, marking the official start of the 2025 NFL season. For some teams, this season will be all about returning to the mountaintop and putting themselves in position to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. For other teams, continuing to build for the future and putting themselves in position to compete long term is the main focus.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of a rebuild, bringing in a new head coach and general manager to take the reins, but are still ready to show that they have what it takes to put together a big year in 2025. But for that to happen, everyone will need to step up, including players such as running back Tank Bigsby— who, according to SB Nation, is a breakout candidate for the Jaguars this season.
SB Nation’s Take on Bigsby
Jacksonville already has Travis Etienne and drafted Bhayshul Tuten in this year’s draft, but SB Nation still thinks that Bigsby can carve out a big role. Alluding to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from last season, who had a dominant running back duo in Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, Bigsby could provide an added spark for the Jaguars and help them become a similar type of running team.
“If you watched any Tampa Bay Buccaneers football last season, you could tell how fun the run game was, and how versatile it became out of Pony personnel,” SB Nation writer, Joseph Acosta, said. “The Bucs finished 12th in the NFL in rushing attempts with two backs on the field, but with both [Bucky] Irving and [Rachaad] White playing together, the offense became much more dynamic.”
“I think the same thing can happen for Tank Bigsby and RB Travis Etienne in Jacksonville, but I’m going with Bigsby here because he’s a bit better between the tackles on gap scheme runs,” Acosta added. “Bigsby is a thicker back with good contact balance, which should help as the Jags transition to being more of a gap scheme team. How the carries get ironed out will be the question, but Bigsby will make the most of his attempts.”
Bigsby’s Upward Trajectory So Far
Drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft, the idea was to have Bigsby provide depth behind Etienne. But after some struggles from Etienne during parts of last season, Bigsby started to get more and more carries– eventually leading to a timeshare between himself and Etienne. Finishing last season with 168 carries for 766 yards and seven touchdowns, Bigsby enters 2025 as a legitimate candidate to take over the starting running back role.
But Etienne and Tuten both provide tremendous value and could make it hard for Bigsby to take full control of the starting job. A strong receiving back, Etienne plays a pivotal role in the passing game and with the Jaguars entering 2025 with a revamped receiver room, Etienne’s role could grow even more. Tuten, who was a star at Virginia Tech, is very fast and athletic and coming off of a 1,159 yard, 15 touchdown season in his final season with the Hokies, could be given plenty of opportunities to see what he can do at the next level.
Tank Bigsby Listed as a Breakout Candidate for Jaguars in 2025