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Jaguars' Liam Coen Sounds Off on Travis Hunter
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen, left, talks with the team’s first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, right, Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. during a press conference. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The question everyone's been asking is how are the Jacksonville Jaguars actually going to use their two-way rookie phenom Travis Hunter. At Colorado, Hunter played both wide receiver and defensive back, averaging around 111.5 snaps per game, an absurd number for any level of play.

In theory, Jacksonville traded up from No. 5 to No. 2 overall and selected Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft to get a star who proved he can play both sides, something the NFL has never seen before. He wasn't the best receiver on the board, nor the best DB, but he was still phenomenal at both positions.

On the Pat McAfee Show, Jaguars' head coach Liam Coen dived deep into how they've been adjusting and monitoring Hunter's practices, tailoring them to give him the best shot at success.

"We kind of built the plan, sat him down, and really talked through it," said Coen.

It's clear that Coen cares about his players and it's important to note the fact that he and the rest of the coaching staff are actively taking feedback from the guys, making sure they agree with the process before implementing it in practice.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is doing the same. After last year's DC Ryan Nielsen emphasized that gaining weight was the best plan, star defensive players like Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen followed orders but admitted after the season that it affected their play and that they regretted doing it.

Coen not only took Hunter's feedback, but he's fully on board with having Hunter play both sides at the professional level. They've even had him play on both sides at Minicamp, stating that it'll continue on throughout the rest of Training Camp as well.

"Every day he was on offense, but he also met with the defensive staff in the afternoons, and vice versa," Coen continued. "Typically in the offseason he was on one side of the ball in practice and he didn't flip-flop. Today he did, and he played on both sides of the ball in practice today. That's gonna have to continue on throughout Training Camp because that's what he's going to have to do in games."

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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