Travis Hunter left an impression on Jacksonville Jaguars coaches when he took reps on the defensive side of the ball during OTAs. The former Colorado two-way star made it clear in the draft process that he wanted to play both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL, and that could become a reality given the way he performed in the earliest days of his pro career. Jaguars coach Liam Coen said Monday that secondary coach Ron Milus already wants more time to work with Hunter.
The Jaguars only placed Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, in offensive drills during rookie minicamp, at least in the sessions open to media. He worked his way into the defensive backfield in OTAs, though, which fell in line with the plan Coen laid out for the first-round pick after his arrival in Jacksonville.
“Milo came up to me after practice and said, ‘Can we have him more?'” Coen said. “That’s a good thing, right? We were in the red area on Friday and he didn’t end up making any plays on the ball, but just the movement skills in some of the man coverages, the feel in zone, you can definitely see how natural it is for him. Still learning, still growing, still trying to learn the calls as much as possible. But when you see him just in the actual 7-on and team setting, he doesn’t look out of place by any means.”
Jaguars’ Liam Coen sheds light on Travis Hunter playing defense during OTAs, plan for 2025 season
Brad Crawford
Coen said in May that Hunter spent time on defense during closed practices, and the team later posted pictures on social media of him working on his footwork, coverage and plays on the ball. He said the Jaguars intend to split Hunter’s practice reps between cornerback and wide receiver and that he could even work on both sides of the ball in the same practice.
Hunter, who won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, dazzled at both positions at Colorado. Equally as impressive as his production was his ability to play over 100 snaps per game and to shoulder a heavy workload as the Buffaloes’ primary receiver and top pass defender.
While Hunter has always been adamant about playing both offense and defense in the NFL, he did say after the draft that time will tell whether he can carry his uncanny playing time over to the professional level.
“To be honest, I think I just need to see if my body will allow me to take all of this and continue to take all this,” Hunter said, via The Associated Press. “But I do a lot of treatment, so I’m able to keep up with my body and with what I need for my body.”
The Jaguars made Hunter the second pick just months after he completed a legendary two-year run at Colorado. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, the former five-star recruit hauled in a bevy of other national awards and became a two-time consensus All-American. He ended his college career on a high note with 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in addition to 36 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
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