A knee injury forced Travis Hunter to miss the second half of his rookie campaign. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear that he'll continue to play two ways in 2026. Granted, general manager James Gladstone stated that the former Heisman Trophy winner will see an uptick in playing time at cornerback, but that doesn't mean that he will stop lining up at receiver.
And that's the thing, before the knee injury derailed Hunter's 2025 season, strength. The good news is that No. 12 should be ahead of schedule, and the Jags expect him to be at full stregth. That's led several analysts to make a handful of encouraging predictions. The latest comes from Alex Kay of Bleacher Report.
Jaguars sophomore Travis Hunter is projected to reach NFL stardom
Alex Kay predicted a slump or stardom for several notable sophomores across the NFL. He predicts that Travis Hunter will have a breakout season, arguing that he will benefit from playing cornerback full-time.
"With a full offseason to adapt to a starting cornerback role, Hutner could quickly emerge as one of the NFL's best corners," Kay wrote. "He possesses all the unteachable qualities and intangibles required to be a star-caliber defensive back and now gets the opportunity to realize that upside."
Kay continued, "If he can accomplish that while still being an impactful part-time playmaker for the offense, he'll be well worth the capital that Jacksonville gave up to land him."
While Hunter didn't make huge plays at cornerback as a rookie, he was by no means a slouch. In fact, he registered a crucial pass defensed, along with a 100-yard receiving game, just before he sustained the LCL injury.
It's also worth noting that Hunter spent the early portion of the offseason learning the nuances of playing receiver because of how complex the position is. However, he should get more time to hone his skills on defense now that he'll tentatively play corner full-time.
Of course, plans always change, but the early signs point to Hunter definitely playing cornerback full-time. This will, in turn, allow him to reach his potential at the position. That said, general manager James Gladstone recently told NFL host Rich Eisen that the Jags won't plug the plug on the two-way, so expect the West Palm Beach, Florida native to also get plenty of snaps on offense.
The Jaguars want Travis Hunter to have a game-altering talent
In the end, all the Jaguars want is to see Travis Hunter become the sports-altering talent they envisioned when they moved up for him in the 2025 NFL Draft. And precisely because they gave up a substantial haul to trade up for him, expectations are high ahead of Year 2.
Then again, it's easy to forget just how electrifying Hunter was at Colorado. Sure, the level of competition is higher at the NFL level, but he most definitely flashed enough potential in 2025 to make you think that he can be a game-changer at receiver or corner (or both).
The truth is that it's hard to tell just how Hunter's snap count will look next season, but as long as he stays healthy, he should have no trouble turning into a game-changer for the Jaguars.
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