Sophomore running back for N.C. A&T, Bhayshul Tuten, is already turning heads with his phenomenal play this season.
Originally from Paulsboro, New Jersey, football has been a part of Tuten’s upbringing since his youth.
“I started playing organized football when I was about eight, but I’ve been playing backyard football since I could remember,” Tuten said. “Seeing my friends play every day made me interested in the sport. Watching them have fun drove me to play myself.”
Before Tuten’s collegiate career, he played football at Paulsboro High School under the legendary former head coach Glenn Howard. Howard led Paulsboro High School to 14 sectional titles and 24 championship appearances.
Tuten concluded his high school career with 3,768 rushing yards, 77 rushing touchdowns and was named the Jersey Times offensive player of the year in 2020.
It is no surprise that Tuten was a force to be reckoned with during his high school career.
After an incredible high school career, Tuten decided to take his talents to Aggieland despite fielding other opportunities.
“Committing to A&T was a last-minute decision but I wanted to experience going to an HBCU and the culture that comes along with it,” Tuten said.
During the 2021 season as a freshman, Tuten showcased his worth to his coaches and his teammates. In 11 games, Tuten rushed for 215 yards on 37 carries and recorded three rushing touchdowns for the Aggies.
Additionally, Tuten recorded 230 receiving yards on ten receptions and one receiving touchdown.
Tuten’s efforts earned him two Big South weekly honors as a freshman. Now, as a sophomore, he is showing everyone what a breakout year is supposed to look like.
With only playing five games thus far this season, Tuten has already more than doubled his rushing yards compared to last season and has more touchdowns in five games than he did in 11 games the previous season.
Tuten emerged as the leader of the backfield in the Aggies’ home opener against S.C. State. Tuten had his best collegiate game to date as he rushed for 140 yards with two rushing touchdowns and also had 32 receiving yards and one touchdown reception from quarterback Jalen Fowler. The match was Tuten’s third straight game having 100+ rushing yards.
With Tuten’s incredible performance, the Aggies’ defeated S.C. State 41-27. In addition to the win, Tuten’s performance earned him offensive player of the week in the Big South.
He rushed for a career-high 140 yards and scored THREE touchdowns!@NCATFootball's Bhayshul Tuten is the #BigSouthFB🏈 Offensive Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/HOrvxGqPga
— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) September 26, 2022
Tuten has always thought highly of Head Coach Sam Washington, and has often credited him as a mentor, not just a coach.
“Coach Washington helped me develop into a man entering adulthood. He teaches me the importance of being where I need to be when I need to be there and he teaches me a lot about accountability,” Tuten said.
With the 2022 season at its halfway point, Tuten has high hopes for what his team can accomplish for the remainder of the season.
“Our main goal is to keep getting better every day and win the Big South conference. A national championship is our overall goal but we try to accomplish our closest goals first,” Tuten said.
Luckily for Tuten, he still has six games left in the regular season to continue to show everyone how dominant he is on the field and how important he is for the Aggies’ offense.
The Aggies’ next match is on Oct. 15 against the Edward Waters Tigers. To stream the game, visit ESPN+ and to stay up to date with the Aggies football team, see N.C. A&T Athletics.
