Whether he plays cornerback, wide receiver or both in 2026, the potential two-way stardom of Travis Hunter will be under the microscope as he suits up for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Year 2.
The talent is obviously there and if not for a season-ending knee injury to cut his rookie season short, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft may have put more emphasis on whether he can be game changer on both sides of the ball.
Travis Hunter’s biggest challenge is role balance
With the Jaguars needing Hunter more as a cornerback than as a wide receiver entering organized team activities (OTAs), the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner can focus in on that side of the ball, but he’s too talented on the offensive side of the ball for the Jaguars not to utilize him there as well. If the rumblings surrounding the team’s top wide receiver, Brian Thomas Jr., continue, the buzz and noise will grow around Hunter playing more on the offensive side of the ball.
That’s where the biggest challenge lies for Hunter entering his second season in the NFL. Obviously, his health comes first, but once on the field, his focus must be on being the best contributor possible for his team, whether that is as their top cornerback, one of their best offensive playmakers or some combination of both.
Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen hasn’t given much away as to how the team plans to use Hunter but praised his commitment on the field on both sides of the ball. He also gave an understanding and how the team’s virtual walk-through room on defense is helping Hunter grasp the defensive concepts when he is not physically on the field.
"You can go in there and essentially play a game," Coen said following practice on May 27, via ESPN. "From the defensive back's perspective, all you see is the linebackers, the D-line and the offense, so, he can go in there in a half hour and play a game and just go. Now you're not going to be able to get a ton of the [receiver] routes and how they play out, but alignment, assignment, making calls, adjustments to formations have been so valuable to him.
"That virtual room is where he's living. It's where he's going to be in there about two to three times a day throughout the weeks. He goes in there for 25, 30 minutes at a time throughout the course of the day, that's accumulating a ton of reps that he's not going to be able to get until he is cleared to go."
That virtual walk-through room is also helping Hunter offensively as well. While acknowledging his biggest mission is getting back on the practice field, the two-way possibility is still a major part of his game, but where he has a chance to rise to elite status depends on where the Jags need him most. As of now, that need is at cornerback where Hunter proved dominant during his days at Colorado.
If, however, the Thomas Jr. situation leads to the Jaguars trading him, Hunter could be propelled into the team’s No. 1 receiver role. He did show flashes prior to his injury, catching eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. It’s enough to keep that two-way stardom chatter flowing.
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The biggest challenge is staying within the game flow and doing what the team needs him to do on a game-to-game basis and not let the two-way hype get in his head.
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