Jaguars GM provides a huge update regarding Travis Hunter

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 1 of the 2025 season knowing that the investment they made into wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is going to pay immediate dividends.

That was in question for much of fall camp. Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, suffered an upper-body injury on Aug. 14. That kept him out of Jacksonville's final two preseason games and he's been very limited in practice.

On Wednesday, though, general manager James Gladstone revealed that things are looking good for the dynamic athlete. Not only is Hunter healthy, but he is expected to play in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.

"He's on the grass today and rolling full speed," Gladstone said, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

Not only will Hunter play, but the Jaguars are expecting him to play both ways. That was the plan when they drafted him, and it sounds like this injury is not going to impact that idea in Week 1.

"There hasn't been any shift on that front," Gladstone said. "We expect him to be who we know him to be, and that's somebody who impacts both sides of the football."

Hunter was the Heisman Trophy winner last season at Colorado because of his ability to not just play both ways, but be a star on both sides of the football.

He caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while also notching 35 tackles (24 solo), 11 passes defended, four interceptions and one forced fumble. 

The Jaguars traded up with the Cleveland Browns to select Hunter. They moved from No. 5 overall to No. 2 by trading that No. 5 pick, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick and their 2026 first-rounder.

That's quite an investment in one player, but Hunter projects to be well worth it.