JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of the big questions in Jacksonville’s football start this season has been the usage – or lack thereof – of Travis Hunter.
Through the first two games of the season, the returns on Hunter have been underwhelming. Is he still the player who general manager James Gladstone famously said could elevate the sport itself, or is the team still trying to figure out how to use him?
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Hunter has been invisible on offense. On defense, Hunter has played 62 snaps at his cornerback position and made five tackles. The Jaguars have rotated heavily at corner with Hunter, Buster Brown and Jarrian Jones. But the questions are naturally flowing about the impact of the two-way star whom Jacksonville traded up to No. 2 in the 2025 draft to select the unicorn Heisman Trophy winner who was elite as a receiver and as a cornerback.
“Anytime you struggle, offensively specifically, you look at the totality of it all and Travis is a big part of that,” said Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. “We’re looking at continuing to find different ways to get him involved. You’re also looking at the other side of the ball and looking at are we batting here on defense in terms of all that stuff. The missed assignments, communication. I thought he did a nice job, throughout the course of the week and we’re going to look at giving him some more this week.”
Hunter has logged just 11 offensive snaps (seven against the Broncos, four against the Browns) this year. Hunter has one catch for 8 yards and a rush for 3 yards. Are the Jaguars trying to bring Hunter back slowly from his 2025 knee surgery or has he not earned more reps than that? Hunter had a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown in a Week 7 game against the Rams last year in his final game before a season-ending injury. With receiver Brian Thomas Jr. struggling again, could Jacksonville push Hunter into a larger role on offense?
“I think that’s still evolving and one of those things that we’re trying to find, whether it’s Travis or any of our offensive guys, what’s the best way to use those guys and get the best 11 on the field given the situation,” offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said.
