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Jacksonville Jaguars, Coach Liam Coen Reveal Plan For Travis Hunter's Two-Way Abilities

During an introductory press conference for first-round NFL Draft pick Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone revealed how they plan on utilizing the former Colorado Buffaloes star's two-way abilities.

Jack Carlough

Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen, left, talks with the team’s first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, right, Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. during a press conference. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen, left, talks with the team’s first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, right, Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. during a press conference. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Former Colorado Buffaloes cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter found himself a near-perfect landing NFL Draft spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Now, the Jaguars may not yet have all the pieces for a deep playoff run next season, but their leadership has the appropriate respect for Hunter's two-way abilities. During an introductory press conference for the No. 2 overall pick on Friday, Jacksonville coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone spoke on how they plan on utilizing Hunter at both cornerback and wide receiver.

"We've had those conversations, and we have to be fluid," Coen said. "From a scheduling standpoint, we have it all laid out, but we also have to have the ability to be agile and be fluid on specific days. If we feel like he didn't get enough work on one side of the ball the previous day, then we need to be able to move forward and get him those reps the next day."

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, center, throws
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, center, throws up the Heisman pose to Tony Boselli, Executive Vice President of Football Operations, left, as Head Coach Liam Coen, right, laughs after a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. The team traded up from fifth to second after making a deal with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. The rookie was introduced with general / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coen, who spent last season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator before landing Jacksonville's head job in January, added that he'll take a page from how coach Deion Sanders maximized Hunter's abilities at Colorado. After a Saturday game in college, Hunter typically didn't practice early the following week to allow for extra recovery time.

Jacksonville offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile appear to be in lockstep. That was made clear when Jacksonville leadership introduced Hunter to both coordinators during their pre-selection phone call.

"Both Camp (Campanile) and I and Grant are all on the same page about, 'Hey, how is this thing going to work? What do we want it to look like?" Coen said. "We want it to look like what it looked like at Colorado."

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Gladstone, the youngest GM in the NFL at 34 years old, also shared his thoughts on the "belief" Hunter brings to the Jaguars. Jacksonville went 4-13 last season and is undergoing another period of change.

"Thinking about the sport of football and really the power of the game itself, it's capacity to ignite belief, belief in ourselves, belief in others, belief in achieving what many may deem impossible. Travis Hunter, he embodies belief," Gladstone said. "He's a rare person, he's a rare player. But he's also a reminder that the boundaries of the game of football were built to be challenged. The decision to select was actually a statement. A statement for how we plan to move and who we are.

"We want him (Hunter) to be nothing more than him because when he is, he elevates the space around him. From the football field to the city to the game of football itself, Travis Hunter is who we've been hunting up. I couldn't be more jacked to be sitting right here beside him."

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Jack Carlough
JACK CARLOUGH

Jack Carlough graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in journalism and minors in business and sports media. Born and raised in the Boulder area, Jack was the head sports editor of the CU Independent during his college career. More recently, he spent over three years as the managing editor of Colorado Buffaloes Wire, part of the USA Today Sports network. Other publications Jack has written for include the Boulder Daily Camera, Left Hand Valley Courier and SB Nation’s Ralphie Report.

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