A Two-Way Talent Starts on One Side of the Ball
Travis Hunter got his first extended opportunity to work at wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars during rookie minicamp this weekend. Unlike the rest of the 2025 draft class, Hunter will soon split his attention between both sides of the ball.
Starting next week, the No. 2 overall pick will begin taking reps on defense as well. “Yeah, he’ll be able to get integrated next week on the defensive side of the ball,” head coach Liam Coen told reporters Saturday.
“We just kind of ended up making a decision that from yesterday to today we wanted to be able to clean up some of the things that we may have been able to miss yesterday, get extra reps on the offensive side of the ball, and next week he’ll start to roll on defense.”
A Unique Role for a Unique Prospect
Hunter was a two-way star at Colorado, excelling at both wide receiver and cornerback. His intent to continue playing on both offense and defense is part of what made Jacksonville trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select him at No. 2 overall.
The Jaguars’ approach to begin his professional career with an offensive focus lines up with Coen’s comments from draft night. At that time, he noted the plan was to start Hunter primarily on offense during the offseason while easing him into the team’s defensive system.
Coen confirmed Saturday that even though Hunter has not yet taken reps on defense, he has been introduced to some of the team’s coverage concepts.
Coen said Saturday that Hunter still has been able to get a feel for what Jacksonville wants to do defensively, specifically learning some of the unit’s three-deep coverages.
Making an Impression in Rookie Minicamp
Over the first two days of rookie minicamp, Hunter made the most of the opportunities available. While NFL teams are still in Phase 2 of offseason workouts, which prohibits live contact and full-team drills, he stood out with his offensive reps and effort.
Hunter also stayed after practice to get in additional work and emphasized his readiness to rise to the expectations placed on him by the franchise.
“You know, this organization expects a lot out of me,” Hunter said. “They expect me to come out and play right away, so I’m going to do whatever it takes for me to get out there and play right away.”
Learning Two Playbooks, One Goal
Hunter’s transition to the NFL is made even more challenging by his dual-role ambitions. Learning both offensive and defensive playbooks is no small task, but he appears ready for the grind.
“You’ve just got to get used to it,” Hunter said of learning two playbooks at the NFL level. “It’s just a lot of different types of calls, but other than that, the defense is pretty easy. You’ve just got to get used to the offense.”
Coen praised Hunter’s football intelligence and work ethic, expressing confidence that he will be able to handle the demands of both positions. “He’s obviously having to learn both sides of the ball,” Coen said.
“He’s a football-smart guy. The game makes sense to him. And so now it’s just about putting in that time, that extra time that he’s going to have to do in order to be successful to play even one side of the ball at this level. So he knows what’s cut out for him coming up.”
Next Steps Begin on Defense
Hunter’s learning journey is only just beginning, but the Jaguars remain optimistic. With offensive reps under his belt, defensive integration is next on the agenda.
