Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs a route before an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What to Expect from Travis Hunter's Rookie Fantasy Season

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of questions to answer in their 2025 NFL season opener against the Carolina Panthers. This team is embarking on a brand-new era, with a complete systematic overhaul, featuring new head coach Liam Coen, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.

All three will be making their NFL debuts at their respective positions in Week 1 for the Jaguars. They'll have to prove that they're deserving of their new posts with Jacksonville throughout the season. They're not the only ones who have doubts to shed.

The team took Colorado Buffaloes' two-way star Travis Hunter Jr. with the second-overall pick in the 2025 draft, trading away the fifth selection, and an additional third-rounder and their number-one in 2026 to move up to acquire him. It was certainly a hefty price, but it'll be well worth it if he can continue to excel on both offense and defense. The learning curve is already tricky for a rookie playing one position; how well can Travis Hunter Jr. perform learning both wide receiver and cornerback in his first year?

Travis Register-Imagn Images

Travis Hunter Jr. expected to have explosive rookie fantasy season

There's no doubt that Travis Hunter Jr. has the talent to be an excellent fantasy football wide receiver from Day 1. He was a decent route runner in college, showcased great hands with the Colorado Buffaloes, can line up in multiple spots, and racks up yards after the catch. That's a recipe for a high-level scorer, even as a rookie.

However, his aim to contribute on both sides of the ball might limit his production on offense. However, Yahoo Sports' Ray Garvin isn't concerned with his fantasy potential as a rookie:

"Make no mistake, new head coach Liam Coen isn’t about to turn him into a full-time DB. He’s listed as a starting wide receiver and everything out of camp has pointed toward him being a weapon on offense.

This is the same system that featured Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan in the screen game. And now it gets Hunter, a one-of-one athlete who doesn’t need elite route-running to pop. He’s dangerous in space. He’s electric with the ball. And he’s tied to a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who knows how to feed a playmaker."

Travis Hunter is going to be a YAC monster in the leaguepic.twitter.com/BHG1LSXIXN https://t.co/dj8KhWP50z
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 29, 2024

"Hunter won’t be consistent. But when he hits? He’s going to hit hard. Travis Hunter is the exact type of risk-reward swing that wins you a week — and maybe more. I think Hunter finishes this season as a boom-bust WR3."

Travis Hunter Jr. commanded an average draft position of 69 for the 2025 fantasy season, making him WR32. He could turn out to be tremendous value at that spot. The Jaguars' season opener against the Carolina Panthers should be very telling on how Head Coach Liam Coen and this team intend to deploy their new prized second-overall pick.

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

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