After missing the offseason program, Travis Hunter is back with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although there were doubts that he would be 100 percent after recovering from the knee injury that cut his rookie season short, he's quickly put concerns to rest. Moreover, the former Heisman Trophy winner is quickly showing flashes of the talent that made him the second overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Hunter has already made plays on both offense and defense in training camp, proving that he can indeed play two ways. Granted, the Jags deserve praise for knowing how to best set him up for success. Then again, head coach Liam Coen knows there's only so much the team can do.
Travis Hunter has skills the Jaguars cannot coach
Liam Coen met with the local media after Day 11 of training camp. He heaped praise on Travis Hunter, noting that he is the kind of player with playmaking skills you can't coach.
"I mean the play they made the other day, and then Trevor scrambled and threw it in the middle," Coen told reporters (7:36 mark). "The play was dead; he was sacked. But Travis came out of nowhere and makes the play. I can't coach it, and so I think the length, the anticipation on defense.
Coen continued, "We got him today on the one, but like when you have length and anticipation and have a good feel for routes, I think that the playmaking, getting your hands on balls, or just denying the ball with good coverage, like that's a win in itself that I think it goes a little bit unnoticed from corners is like, yeah. When they don't get a lot of work, it's probably because they're doing their job and doing it at a high level. So I've been pleased with him."
Earlier this year, Deion Sanders complained that the Jags hadn't reached out to him for tips on how to coach Hunter. Based on how much progress he's made, they didn't have to.
Hunter has wasted no time picking up where he left off last year. You could even make the case that he looks even better, which is understandable when you take into account that he now knows the nuances of playing corner and receiver at the NFL level.
The Jaguars are ready to watch Travis Hunter take off
When Travis Hunter suffered the LCL injury, analysts were quick to question whether he could truly play two ways and whether that played a role in him getting hurt. Surprisingly, there hasn't been much chatter about it since the former Colorado Buffalo returned to practice. Some of that stems from the fact that he may have a reduced role at receiver, but he'll continue to play offense and defense next season.
That said, Hunter will probably have the biggest impact at corner. He showed massive upside at the position last year and has All-Pro potential.
It may have taken longer than expected, but Travis Hunter seems to be ready to prove that he can be the game-altering talent the Jaguars envisioned.
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