After an illustrious career at Colorado, Travis Hunter made it clear that he wouldn't play for a team that didn't allow him to play two ways. From the moment the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him second overall in 2025, they made it abundantly clear that they would accommodate his request.
The team's brass then put together an onboarding plan to ensure Hunter played two ways for the Jags. And after a rocky start to his rookie campaign, the former Heisman Trophy winner began to flash the game-changing potential that made him a star at the college level. Unfortunately, a knee injury brought his season to a screeching halt.
The good news is that Hunter is close to returning. Once he does, he'll resume his two-way aspiration. Teammate Arik Armstead, for one, thinks he should have no trouble pulling it off, but also the mere thought of giving it a try is already a feat in itself.
Arik Armstead says the Jaguars have a gamen-changer in Travis Hunter
Arik Armstead made an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio and said that he had never seen a player nearly as talented as Travis Hunter before, arguing that he was starting to fulfill the two-way vision before he suffered the knee injury.
"For one, what he did, not even attempted now, was outstanding and good for our sports," Armstead said. "He's a game-changer. He's probably the most naturally talented athlete, just pure athlete I've been around. And I've been around some amazing ones. It was good for our sport, and it was good for our team. He has a lot of value on both sides of the football."
Armstead continued, "And just like with everyone's career, you're going to have your rookie ups and downs. I think he was starting to hit his stride before he got injured. Heading into this offseason, he's looking extremely well and healing up amazingly. I'm excited to see as he gets back healthy, gets back into the fold. Hopefully, he would join us back in the field."
Later, Armstead argues that being in the same system for the second year in a row will allow Hunter to pick up where he left off.
"What he's able to accomplish in Year 2, things will slow down for him just like they do for all of us. He'll be going into his second year, being in the same system, around the same coaches, and knowing what is asked of him. We know how challenging that can be as a rookie just mastering one side of the ball, so I think in Year 2, he's going to take a huge step and help our team in a lot of different ways," Armstead said.
Hunter finished his rookie season with just three passes defensed and 28 receptions for 298 yards with one touchdown. However, he showed his two-way potential against the Los Angeles Rams, registering one pass deflection and hauling in eight catches for 101 yards with a touchdown.
The Jaguars fully believe in Travis Hunter's two-way potential
The Jaguars have stated that they won't give up on the two-way even though Travis Hunter will play cornerback full-time. He'll continue to play receiver, but may not get nearly as big a role due to the presence of Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Brian Thomas Jr.
That said, the Jags won't simply put to waste Hunter's potential at receiver. It's just that they'll need him more on defense, where he has the talent to turn into an All-Pro.
The hype around Travis Hunter is soaring, and understandably so. Arik Armstead knows that players face roadblocks throughout their careers, but Hunter's injury is just a speed bump on his way to becoming a star in the NFL.
Add us as a preferred source on Google