Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) watches the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Insider Wants Travis Hunter to Take Next Step in Preseason

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars made waves when they selected Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter Jr. with the second-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. To do so, they had to trade a haul to the Cleveland Browns to move up from five to two. In total, they sent the fifth selection, the 36th pick, the 126th pick, and their 2026 first-rounder in return for picks two, 104, and 200.

That's a hefty price to pay for a non-quarterback. However, Hunter Jr. isn't like any other draft prospect. In college, he proved to be an elite talent at both wide receiver and cornerback, playing both sides of the ball full-time. While there have been other two-way players to come into the NFL, Hunter Jr. is attempting to be the first to be a prominent performer on offense and defense at the professional level.

Jaguars need to test Travis Hunter Jr.'s endurance throughout the rest of preseason

With the Colorado Buffaloes, Travis Hunter Jr. played well over 100 snaps a game. Last season, New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed Jr. led all players with 72 snaps per week. The Jacksonville Jaguars were at the bottom of the league in offensive plays per game in 2024 with just 58.4, according to Team Rankings.

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has gone on record to say that he aims for Hunter Jr. to play 80 percent of all snaps on both sides of the ball. Taking the Jags' 58.4 offensive plays per game from last season, doubling it, and then reducing it by 20 percent would put Hunter Jr. at over 93 snaps a week. That would lead the league by far and is within shouting distance of the NFL's all-time most snaps played in a single game, currently held by former Tennessee Titans safety Jordan Babineaux with 118.

Many have doubted Hunter Jr.'s ability to be an effective player at both wide receiver and cornerback at the NFL level. Jacksonville and Head Coach Liam Coen affirmed their belief in him by deploying him on offense and defense in their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he only played a handful of snaps.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted that Hunter Jr. didn't even play consecutive possessions against the Steelers:

"My second thought is that Hunter’s snaps came on the game’s first and fourth possessions, so they were spaced out a bit. I do wonder if, just to condition him and see what he’s capable of, the Jags will want to get him in there on, say, four or five consecutive possessions, because there’s both a physical and mental balance to all of them."

Getting Travis Hunter Jr. some reprieve in between shifts will likely be in the cards for the Jaguars, although he won't be able to take many full possessions off. Getting him some reps going straight from offense to defense and vice versa throughout the remainder of the preseason wouldn't be a bad idea for Head Coach Liam Coen.

To get our updates for the Jaguars, follow us on X at @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley today!

Talk to us about the Jaguars by following our Facebook WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

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

More must-reads: