Who Should I Start? Kalel Mullings or LeQuint Allen Jr.

Sunday, August 10, 11:57 AM

Tennessee Titans rookie running back Kalel Mullings finished with a team-high 33 rushing yards on seven carries in Saturday's preseason-opening 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With starter Tony Pollard receiving limited work (four carries, nine yards) and Tyjae Spears suffering a high-ankle sprain, Mullings ended up serving as the Titans' lead back. Julius Chestnut, who's competing with Mullings, totaled 18 yards on three carries and added one catch for eight yards. A sixth-round pick from Michigan, Mullings ran for 948 yards and six touchdowns on 185 attempts in his last year with the Wolverines in 2024. The 22-year-old could see an increased role during Spears' absence. If Spears isn't able to return by the Titans' season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7, it could be Mullings backing up Pollard. In the meantime, Mullings will try to build on a productive debut in preseason game No. 2 against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday.

Wednesday, July 2, 2:48 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen landed in a crowded backfield after being selected by the team in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Syracuse. The Jags also selected Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten and already have Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby on the roster. Conventional wisdom would suggest Allen will face an uphill battle to make the roster, but team reporter John Shipley said he could have an early role in the offense. "Both Tuten and Allen make sense as potential fill ins on third downs thanks both to their abilities as pass-catchers out of the backfield and the success each had pass-blocking in college," Shipley wrote. "Allen might be the most versatile receiver of the duo, which could lead to a key role early on." Most teams do not carry four running backs on gameday, so if Allen does make the roster, it could point toward the organization shipping one of the veteran ball carriers. It's still early in the offseason, and training camp will give fantasy managers a better idea of how rosters will shake up, but the buzz around Allen puts him higher on the fantasy football radar. Allen caught 119 passes in three collegiate seasons, including 64 in 2024.