JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Playing both sides of the ball is now part of Travis Hunter’s regular practice routine with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and the second overall pick in this year’s NFL draft played offense and defense during training camp Tuesday. He wore a teal, No. 12 jersey at receiver and then threw on a white, loose-fitting, No. 12 penny when it was time to line up at cornerback.
“It’s funny seeing him (go) back and forth,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “It’s pretty crazy. Never seen anything like it.”
Hunter had a minor issue with the sideline swap. Offensive teammates grabbed his baggy covering on several occasions, which helped them keep Hunter at bay during running plays; it won't be a problem during games since he won't have to change jerseys.
Hunter first switched back and forth during a scrimmage at EverBank Stadium on Saturday night, playing 17 snaps with the first-team offense and 21 with the first-team defense. He got similar work Tuesday, logging nine snaps on each side of the ball in 11-on-11 drills.
It’s the kind of versatility the Jaguars envisioned when they gave up a second-round pick and a 2026 first-rounder to move up three spots and select Hunter.
“It might not be every single day, but I would say it would probably be a little bit more normal than not,” coach Liam Coen said.
The Jaguars planned for months to get to the point where Hunter was working interchangeably on both sides. They used him solely at receiver to open organized team activities in May and then expanded his usage as the team stacked practices.
By the start of training camp last month, he was working a day on offense and then a day on defense.
But getting him to do both within minutes, sometimes seconds, was the next step in his NFL evolution.
“Hopefully, more offense,” Lawrence quipped. “Just the way he plays, the energy he plays with. Even just little things like interacting with the fans and the juice he brings into the stadium. That stuff does mean something.
“Not everyone necessarily has that personality, but he has something about him that’s just special. The energy he brings and the energy he plays with and the joy and all that stuff — the way he runs around — it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play with a guy like that. I think he’s starting to play a lot faster now that he knows the system and can play free.”
Hunter gives the small-market franchise more star power than it’s had in decades — maybe ever.
He caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Colorado and had 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions while allowing just one touchdown.
The Jaguars intend to use him primarily as a slot receiver on offense and as an outside cornerback in certain packages on defense. It’s familiar territory for someone who played more snaps (1,461) than anyone else in college football in 2024.
It’s unclear how much — if at all — Hunter will play in Jacksonville’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh on Saturday. Coen and his staff are “still working through it.” He even texted Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on Monday night to “get on the same page” regarding starters.
Coen was an assistant with the Las Angeles Rams, who rarely played starters and even rested backups, and with Tampa Bay, which played starters in the preseason in hopes of getting “some quality work.”
“That is the ultimate debate,” Coen said. “It’s definitely a difficult decision that we’ve been wrestling back and forth with a little bit, but we’ll have a better idea (Wednesday).”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Mark Long, The Associated Press
