Travis Hunter Challenges Addressed by Jaguars’ Coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into the NFL season with one of the most dynamic rookies in football. After playing cornerback and wide receiver in college, Travis Hunter will also participate at both of these positions for the Jaguars.

He'll get his first taste of training camp starting this week, and there's likely going to be a lot of focus on helping Hunter become a capable NFL receiver. He'll still line up on defense as a corner, and attend meetings for offense and defense with his teammates.

The number of plays he'll have on each side of the ball is still a great unknown, as time will tell where the team chooses to deploy him most throughout the regular season.

Grant Udinski was hired as the Jaguars' new offensive coordinator this season, and will work with Hunter as one of the team's receivers. In a recent interview, he shared his early impressions of Hunter with the team.

"Yeah, he's been an injection of energy into not just the offense, but I think the team. What you see on TV of him dancing around or bringing the juice and all that energy to practice, that is genuine. That's the real deal right there," Udisnki said during an interview on NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov.

"So, I'm excited about the challenges of splitting time between offense, defense, and the many different roles that he'll play on our team. And if there's a guy that can do it, I'm excited about seeing him approach that challenge," he told Meirov.

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Udinski spent three seasons in various coaching roles with the Minnesota Vikings, including working as the offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach last season. He's spent considerable time working with Justin Jefferson, who is currently amongst the league's best receivers.

As mentioned, Hunter has the opportunity to do something quite special by playing corner and receiver in the NFL. No player has played significant time on both sides of the ball in over 60 years.

The last to do so was Chuck Bednarik, who played linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949 to 1962. Bednarik, also known as "Concrete Charlie," played for 13 seasons, achieving First-Team All-Pro honors 10 times, eight Pro Bowl selections, and two championships.

Hunter already achieved a Heisman Trophy in college by playing corner and receiver for the Colorado Buffaloes. He could potentially compete for both the AP Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, depending on how much time he spends at both positions in the NFL.