Jaguars make decision on Travis Hunter's role for next season

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the expected decision on Thursday to make two-way star wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter a full-time cornerback for next season. Selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hunter’s rookie season was cut short due to an LCL tear. 

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Hunter will have his chances on offense but will be primarily used as a defensive back. Rapoport adds that Hunter is progressing well in his rehab and should be ready to go by training camp. 

The 22-year-old's attempt to play on both sides of the ball was commendable. However, it was doomed to fail, as his season-ending injury showed why committing to one side of the football should have happened from the beginning.

Travis Hunter's attempt to play both sides of the ball for Jaguars likely affected his production

Limited to seven games, the former Heisman Trophy winner didn't put up notable numbers. On offense, Hunter had 298 receiving yards on 28 receptions and had one touchdown, while he had 11 solo tackles and no interceptions on defense. 

It's possible that trying to split his time on both sides of the ball, as he did at the University of Colorado, contributed to his injury. Hunter had a large workload in 13 games for the Buffaloes (2024) on both sides of the ball — 96 receptions on offense and 36 combined tackles on defense. 

Ultimately, the Jaguars needed to make this decision for the betterment of the team, as he’ll add to an already solid defense. The Jaguars had the 11th-best defense (303.6 yards) last season but fielded a weak secondary (21st, 218.1 yards).

Hunter being able to focus his talents at cornerback should help improve the Jaguars' secondary, as he learned from one of the best in Deion Sanders. He had four interceptions in his last year in Colorado.