The Jaguars have decided how they plan to use Travis Hunter — at least for Week 1.
Jacksonville intends to use Hunter as an “every-down wide receiver and situational corner” for Sunday’s game against the Panthers, ESPN reported Saturday.
This plan for Hunter — who has been persistent on being a two-way player in the NFL — is not set in stone for the remainder of the season, with the Jaguars planning to mix up how they use the rookie throughout the year, per ESPN.
“We’re going to have to figure it out,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen told reporters Friday. “We’re going to have to all be flexible. We’ll come up with that plan over the next 24 hours in terms like, alright, what are the exact maybe numbers we want to hit on both sides or usage?”
The Jaguars have decided Hunter’s usage on a week-to-week basis so far in an attempt to keep their opponents guessing.
Hunter, whom Jacksonville selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has suffered some minor setbacks in preseason, with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner missing the Jaguars’ second preseason game and four training camp practices due to an upper-body injury.
“He did miss some time, and so that’s something that we just need to make sure we’re aware of and keeping engaged as coaches to make sure that, if he’s getting a little lost or doesn’t know what he’s doing on a few things, well, man, maybe we need to reel it back a little and get him a rest here maybe for a sec,” Coen said Friday.
“Whatever it is, we’ve got to be flexible, but I thought he’s done a really nice job of dedicating himself to the plan on both sides of the ball over the last few days and he was flying around pretty good today,” he added.
Hunter has stated on numerous occasions that he wants to continue being a two-way player in the NFL.
Shortly before the draft, Hunter said that he would rather quit football before focusing on just wide receiver or cornerback.
“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter told CBS Sports in April. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
