Even before Travis Hunter played a down for the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hype was off the charts, and understandably so. He became a two-way star at Colorado, and the Jags weren't interested in limiting his game-changing skills to one side of the ball.
However, the Heisman Trophy winner got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign, and once he began to hit his stride, a knee injury ended his season prematurely.
The good news is that Hunter is ahead of schedule in his recovery. The expectation is that he'll be back at full strength. If he does, he could be the last piece in the puzzle to ignite a deep playoff run.
Travis Hunter was the Jaguars' X-Factor
Seth Walder of ESPN took part in a roundtable that ranked every NFL roster. When discussing the Jaguars, he chose Travis Hunter as the X factor, arguing that he still has lots of upside despite the fact that a knee injury ended his rookie season prematurely. Here's the skinny.
"His ceiling is probably an elite cornerback who also adds in the receiving game, Walder wrote. "After a disappointing, injury-shortened rookie season, there might be less optimism about him hitting that level than there was 12 months ago, but the upside is still there. Jacksonville took a big step forward in 2025, and Hunter living up to his draft stock could thrust the Jaguars into real contention."
Hunter was the highest-graded prospect at receiver and cornerback in the 2025 draft process. That he had trouble making an adjustment to the NFL stemmed from having to learn two positions. But once the West Palm Beach, Florida native felt comfortable, he showed big-play capability, registering one pass defensed and eight receptions for 101 yards with one touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
Unfortunately, Hunter suffered the knee injury one week later during practice, but if he had stayed healthy, there's a strong chance he would've built off his breakout game against LA.
After getting more playing time on offense as a rookie, Hunter will tentatively line up at corner full-time next season. The adjustment should allow him to reach his All-Pro potential on defense.
Why Travis Hunter could propel the Jaguars into the playoffs
The Jaguars built a well-rounded roster with talent and depth on both sides of the ball. That's why they managed to go 13-4 in 2025 even after losing Travis Hunter. Heck, Jacksonville could once again make the playoffs without Hunter because of how stacked the roster is. That said, he could be the spark that ignites a deep playoff run.
See, Travis Hunter will start at one corner spot. If he weren't available, Jarrian Jones would probably take his place. While Jones is a fine player, Hunter has way more upside. Similarly, Hunter will be the fourth or fifth option in the passing game behind Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brenton Strange.
However, having No. 12 line up at receiver will create mismatches that will give Jacksonville a massive edge. Of course, he's not just a gadget player, so you can bet the coaching staff will make good use of his game-changing skills to give another dimension to the offense.
Simply put, Travis Hunter has the potential to give the Jaguars a massive boost on offense and defense. That could, in turn, help them get over the hump in the playoffs.
Add us as a preferred source on Google