Travis Hunter's first look on defense has media buzzing at Jaguars minicamp

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Travis Hunter, general manager James Gladstone said that the two-way star would start his onboarding process on offense and play cornerback as the offseason progressed. That moment has come.

During the first day of mandatory camp, Hunter exclusively played cornerback. While he had previously attended defensive meetings, this was the first time he lined up on that side of the ball.

As Frank Frangie, the team's official announcer, pointed out, this was the first time the local media got a taste of the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner on defense with the Jags, and they were ready.

Here's Alessandra Pontrbriand of News4Jax sharing a snap and a clip of Hunter on defense.

Hunter played both ways at Colorado and made it clear that he wouldn't go to a team that would limit him to one side of the ball. Fortunately, he landed with the Jaguars, and they had a plan in place that will allow him to play corner and receiver. Whether he does it full-time remains to be seen, but he's flashed on both sides of the ball.

One key factor has helped Travis Hunter make the transition with the Jaguars

Head coach Liam Coen met with the press corps after Day 1 of mandatory minicamp and said that Travis Hunter has shown progress both physically and mentally, noting that he's managed to make the transition without a hitch.

"Yeah, I think both physically and mentally, there's been some growth. I saw some, some muscles coming out of his arms. No, he's done a great job," Coen was asked how Hunter is doing. "And like I said, in the weight room with the conditioning, he's doing multiple meetings a day. I'd have to go back and watch the tape and see how he actually performed.

Coen continued, "But on defense, as a DB, usually, if they're not calling your name, it's typically a good thing. So I'll have to go back and watch. But I think he's done a nice job in terms of communicating with the guys. He has a little bit of a benefit in knowing some of our plays, in some ways, but I don't think that's made any changes."

Later in the exchange, Coen said that it's a bit surprising how easily Hunter is dealing with the transition because of how rare it is, adding that being in great shape has helped him tremendously.

"I guess a little bit, because it's something you don't see every day, right? So for him, though, it just seems pretty like normal, right? And so I think what helps him kind of do things right a lot is that he's so well conditioned that, from a mental fatigue standpoint, doesn't seem to occur all that much out here, where he can kind of just run. He's been in altitude for a few years now and but he is in very good physical shape when it comes to just being able to run all day," Coen said.

"And that's something that, ultimately, once your legs start to go, the mind starts to go, and you don't really see that all that often with him, he just keeps going. And so that's been exciting to see, and that's going to he's going to have to lean into that as he goes here, and the reps start to go up, and he starts to play, maybe offense and defense on the same day, which will occur in training camp. So, yeah, it's definitely a little bit surprising, because you haven't seen it too much."

It's hard to tell if Travis Hunter will ultimately be able to play two ways full-time as a rookie, but he's putting in the work to make it happen and is off to an encouraging start so far.

Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: