What Colorado Great Travis Hunter's NFL Debut Revealed About His Rookie Outlook

Sporting a fresh buzz cut, former Colorado Buffaloes cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter made his highly anticipated NFL debut in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The two-way phenom and recent No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick wasn't exactly used to his full potential, but Jacksonville did get Hunter involved on the offensive end with a team-high six catches, which went for only 33 yards. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence targeted Hunter eight times in total, often on a conservative play call.

Defensively, Hunter saw only six snaps, including three in coverage, and allowed Carolina rookie Tetairoa McMillan to record a 12-yard catch.

Takeaways From Travis Hunter's NFL Debut

Colorado Travis Hunter Boosted NFL Future Debut Buffaloes Jacksonville Jaguars Carolina Panthers Trevor Lawrence Rookie Draft — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) walks to greet fans after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As expected, Hunter saw most of his action at wide receiver in his NFL debut. Coach Liam Coen may give Hunter some more playing time defensively as his rookie season progresses, but the recent Heisman Trophy winner has seemingly proven most comfortable on offense.

Still, there was hope that Hunter would see more opportunities on both sides of the ball. Colorado reporter Mat Smith shared his opinion that Hunter won't thrive with how he's currently being used in Jacksonville.

"After one game I am MUCH less confident in Liam Coen's plan for Travis tbh," Smith wrote on X. "Let's see how it goes. Don't love burying him in the slot and not playing him at all defensively."

Hunter was listed as a starting wide receiver and a backup cornerback on Jacksonville's Week 1 depth chart, signaling that Coen is bringing the first-round draft pick along more slowly on the defensive end. Injuries and/or poor play from those ahead of Hunter could change things, however.

Postgame, Coen shared some encouraging words on Hunter's two-way usage moving forward.

"No, I think that was game one," Coen said of Hunter playing more on offense, per Action Sports Jax's Jason Hamby. "I think that was Week 1 where you miss 10 days or so. There were a lot of different coverage changes in the back end for us with some of their formations, adjustments. It was a lot that those guys had to handle defensively. It may be a little less (defense) for him this game, but I think it will only continue to evolve and go more.

"I thought he played hard on offense. I thought he played fast, had some good catches, ran the right route. I can only see it going and expanding from here."

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Travis Hunter's Accomplished Colorado Career

In his two seasons with the Buffs, Hunter proved capable of playing both ways full-time. When healthy, he was on the field for nearly every offensive and defensive snap under the mentorship of coach Deion Sanders.

Hunter closed his final year at Colorado with 1,258 receiving yards, 16 total touchdowns and four interceptions en route to becoming the Buffs' second-ever Heisman Trophy winner.