Jon Gruden Sends Strong Message About Travis Hunter Ahead of His Rookie Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 6:24 PM ET

The anticipation is building for Jacksonville Jaguars two-way rookie Travis Hunter, who is expected to make his NFL debut in the coming weeks. He was recently listed as the starting wide receiver and second-string cornerback on the Jaguars’ latest depth chart.

Hunter was selected with the No. 2 overall pick after a historic collegiate career at Jackson State and Colorado, where he captured the Heisman Trophy and earned numerous prestigious accolades for his performance on both sides of the ball.

Jon Gruden Makes Appearance at Jaguars Training Camp

With training camp now in full swing, former NFL and Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden has been making his rounds across the league. On Tuesday, he visited Jacksonville and shared an interaction with Hunter—offering a strong message about the rookie’s personality and potential.

"Got to catch up with the Heisman Trophy winner and #2 overall pick Travis Hunter!" Gruden wrote. "Great kid and a great player!"

Got to catch up with the Heisman Trophy winner and #2 overall pick Travis Hunter!

Great kid and a great player! pic.twitter.com/F30MkAZ683
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) August 5, 2025

One of the biggest challenges facing first-year Jaguars head coach Liam Coen will be figuring out how to best utilize Travis Hunter's unique skill set—while also sustaining his impact over the course of a full NFL season. Hunter has the potential to be a game-changing presence on both sides of the ball, but managing that kind of two-way role at the professional level is virtually unprecedented.

At Colorado, Hunter led all of college football in total snaps each of the past two seasons, logging well over 700 snaps on both offense and defense in 2024 alone.

On Monday, Liam Coen appeared on the "Rich Eisen Show" and said he believes Hunter could possibly win both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year—something that’s never been done in NFL history

“I do think it’s possible,” Coen told Rich Eisen on Monday. “You know, he is committed, man. Like, he is committed to driving, not just himself, but his teammates as well. And I think that his teammates... these guys are challenging him. Every single day. Like, he doesn’t get a free pass because he was second overall pick, and he’s Travis Hunter."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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