A
new NFL season is here. Starting on Sunday, all 32 teams will take the field for the first time in 2025, where the quest for the Lombardi Trophy begins. A deep league will make for some stiff competition as one team looks to be the last ones standing. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a two year absence from the playoffs means that the franchise is hungrier than ever heading into the new campaign.
Bringing in a whole new regime, the Jaguars hit the reset button and opted to go with a fresh start. Throughout the offseason, the team invested heavily in new players, wanting to bring in new talent that can help the franchise return to the top. One of those players, Travis Hunter, is a highly anticipated rookie with his two-way abilities. Ahead of week one, head coach Liam Coen talked about the team’s plans to be flexible when it comes to using Hunter.
Hunter’s Skillset
Hunter enters the NFL looking to accomplish something that only a handful of players ever have. Over the course of the league’s history, there have been multiple players that have taken snaps on both sides of the ball, but Hunter wants to be the first player ever to do it full-time and be a starter on both sides of the ball. And all throughout training camp, Hunter has prepared extensively to be able to start both at wide receiver and cornerback for the Jaguars, with Coen acknowledging how cool it has been to see Hunter prepare to be a two-way starter.
“It has been fun,” Coen said on Sept. 5. “It really has, man. It’s going to be cool to see it on Sunday.”
Hunter won the Heisman in 2024 and became the first defensive player since Charles Woodson to take home the honor. Hunter has proven that he has what it takes to dominate on both sides of the ball and even though the NFL season is much longer than a college season, he is still ready for the challenge.
Jacksonville’s Flexibility with Hunter’s Usage
The Jaguars did not invest that much to get Hunter if they did not plan on using him both ways, and will create a plan for two-way usage in week one against the Carolina Panthers. But Coen does want to be cautious and flexible with how Hunter is used– especially since he missed the second preseason game and a handful of training camp practices due to an injury.
“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 is doing on a few things, well, maybe we need to reel it back a little and get him a rest here maybe for a second,” Coen said. “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.”
In the training camp practices that Hunter was available for, it was a near 50-50 split when it came to offensive and defensive snaps. Now, it will be interesting to see how it all comes together and how Hunter fares during his first official taste of NFL action as a two-way superstar.
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