Virginia Tech 2024 Position Preview Series, Running back: Bhayshul Tuten Looks to Provide Another Breakout Year
Not much has changed since the past year for this Virginia Tech running back room and their offense, with all 11 starters returning for the 2024–2025 season. With the one-two punch returning in Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas and potential contributors in Jeremiah Coney, PJ Prioleau, and Tyler Mason, this core of guys seems to be aiming in the right direction for a big season.
Let’s start with Bhayshul Tuten.
The North Carolina A&T transfer burst onto the scene at Virginia Tech in his junior year, where he amassed 173 carries with 863 rushing yards, 239 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns.
Although it was a slow start for not just Tuten but for the rest of the Hokie squad, he would slowly ramp up and hit his stride come Week 5 against Pittsburgh, where he would enjoy his best game thus far into the season with 109 rushing yards on 24 carries.
From there, Tuten seemed to come into his own, and even with some tough games here and there, he found out what worked best for him and contributed to many, if not all, of the team's seven wins, with his best game arguably coming against UVA, in which he had 117 rushing yards and a kick-off return for a touchdown.
Check out what our own RJ Schafer had to say about some more of Tuten's abilities:
Bhayshul Tuten was one of the best kick returners in the nation last year. Tuten took 19 returns for 500 yards and two touchdowns. These numbers put him among some of the top kick returners in the country. Among players who received 15 or more kicks, Bhayshul Tuten's 28.9 yards per kick return placed him fifth in the country. Tuten only trailed Barion Brown (Kentucky), Jayden Harrison (Marshall), Jacquez Stuart (Toledo), and Brashard Smith (Miami (FL).
This wasn't Tuten's only area of production, either.
Tuten was Kyron Drones' sidekick in the ever-reliable Hokies' running game. Tech's 4.9 yards per carry landed them tied for fourth in the ACC standings. Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten's combined 1,681 rushing yards also land them as the fourth-highest combined rushing yards as a QB-RB duo in the ACC. This number only trails Omarion Hampton and Drake Maye (North Carolina); Thomas Castellanos and Kyle Robichaux (Boston College); and Jamal Haynes and Haynes King (Georgia Tech).
Next up behind Tuten is Malachi Thomas, the RB2 from last year.
Coming off of an ankle the season prior to last, Malachi Thomas was coming into his third season at Virginia Tech with some things to prove.
Just like Tuten, the rushing yards came slow for RB2, as he totaled 62 yards on 27 attempts through the first four games of the season.
Thomas would prove himself as the viable second option behind Tuten, though, being more of an inside-running threat than an outside and RPo type of guy as the season continued.
Despite the lower usage rate behind Tuten, Thomas proved to be a solid runner for the Hokies, numbering 365 rushing yards in his third season with VT.
With his fourth season of football upcoming in just about a month and a half, Thomas seems to have learned his role with the team and looks to expand upon his 2023–2024 season.
The only real question mark for this running back core going into next season is: Who is going to be next up in the depth chart for RB3, Jeremiah Coney, P.J. Prioleau, or Tyler Mason?
There is not a lot to go off of, as the only player to get in-game reps last season out of the three was Coney, who had 10 carries for 29 yards, only getting reps in blowout games.
P.J. Prioleau did have a great spring game, and head coach Brent Pry has stated that he can add a sense of versatility in the passing game as well, but he still has not had any running back reps in a regular-season game, just like Tyler Mason.
The developments of these three during training camp this preseason will certainly be a factor, and we will just have to wait and see as the season draws nearer.
Overall, with the offensive line seeming to develop and get better, plus the Hokies returning the majority of their weapons on offense, the sky's the limit for this core of running backs as the new season commences soon.
ZACH OZMON