BLACKSBURG — Bhayshul Tuten spent his senior season at Virginia Tech with the mindset of proving he belonged among the upper echelon of the nation’s top running backs.
The same mentality stayed with him in the months after he concluded his college career. Tuten approached the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine feeling he was being overlooked, and his 40-yard dash showing at the combine was something he hoped changed the narrative.
“I felt pretty good behind it. Going into the Senior Bowl and combine, I knew what I had in store for those events. I know what I bring to the table,” Tuten said Wednesday after Pro Day at Virginia Tech. “I think I’m a well-underrated running back, but just going out each and every day and staying focused and just proving to the world who I am is my focus walking into it. Those two events — Senior Bowl and combine — definitely showed that.”
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Tuten improved his stock for the upcoming NFL Draft by putting up the best numbers in the running back group in a trio of categories at the combine. Another former Hokie, wide receiver Jaylin Lane, wasn’t far behind in helping his draft stock by ranking in the top six in all seven individual events that scouts use to measure speed, explosiveness and agility.
“I feel like I was a guy that came in with not a lot of expectations,” Lane said. “After the combine, I feel like I turned some heads for sure.”
Lane elected not to do any testing at pro day after doing all of the tests at the combine. He ranked second among wide receivers in the 3-cone drill at 6.75 seconds and ranked third in the 40-yard dash (4.34 seconds), 10-yard split (1.50 seconds), 20-yard shuttle (4.12 seconds), broad jump (11 feet) and vertical leap (40 inches).
Lane posted 14 reps at the 225-pound bench press.
Lane measured in at 5 foot 10 and 191 pounds, which meant he needed to show his speed at the combine and turn around to show his route-running ability at the pro day.
“Obviously everyone wants a fast guy, so being able to showcase speed is always big,” Lane said. “Being able to run the deep routes from the slot or outside and be able to track the ball is big for a receiver. And that’s what I wanted to showcase.”
Punt return skills weren’t on the docket at the scouting combine. Lane took advantage of punter Peter Moore performing in front of the scouts at pro day by fielding Moore’s punts and mimicking returns.
Lane ranked 12th in the nation in punt return average (10.2 yards on 24 returns) and had a punt return touchdown in 2024.
“It was a windy day (Wednesday), so being able to show I can track that during the windiness and just showcase what special teams ability I can bring to any team was big for me,” Lane said.
Lane trained with Pete Bommarito in Florida in preparation for the scouting combine. Tuten also trained with Bommarito before the combine before training with Hokies strength and conditioning coordinator Jarrett Ferguson leading into the pro day.
The work with Ferguson was to help build off the performance Tuten displayed at the scouting combine.
He was the fastest running back in the 40-yard dash at 4.32 seconds and was the top running back in the 10-yard split (1.49 seconds) and the vertical leap (40 1/2 inches).
Tuten also tied for second in the broad jump at 10 feet, 10 inches.
“It’s been pretty good. A lot of teams, they’re in love with me. They like my film, so it’s been a lot of meetings over this past month,” Tuten said. “They just love me, especially the speed, and then the physicality I show on film they’re definitely in love with. So that’s where most of my conversations been.”
Tuten did 24 reps on the bench press at pro day after not performing the test at the combine. He wanted to show that he wasn’t simply fast but had the strength to be on the field for every down in the NFL after ranking 16th in the nation in rushing yards per game (105.4) during the 2024 season.
He lined up and ran routes out of the backfield and from the slot during pro day, and he reiterated that his kickoff return skills are factoring into how teams are viewing what he can bring in the future.
“It definitely helps me out in my case showing I’m versatile. I can line up wide and then I can line up in the backfield and do whatever I want on the field and whatever to help the team win,” Tuten said. “The shelf life is definitely going up with Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon (Barkley) balling out and showing you can’t eliminate a running back from the game. With the performance from them guys and the rise for running backs, just going in at the right time. And then being another back that can do well-rounded and do the same thing definitely helps.”
