Why Travis Hunter Still Has Two-Way NFL Star Potential Despite Injury

If he can recover fully from a season-ending knee surgery, there's no reason to believe Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter won't continue his journey to becoming a true two-way superstar in the NFL.

The work ethic and unearthly athleticism Hunter displayed throughout his two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes aren't going away, and he'll now have another reason to prove doubters wrong. Hunter has consistently surpassed any limits placed on him and will do so again when he returns to the field next year.

According to the Jaguars, Hunter underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair an isolated collateral ligament injury in his right knee. He suffered the injury in practice on Oct. 30 and is now expected to miss about six months before returning to football activities.

Travis Hunter's 2026 Outlook

Why Travis Hunter Two-Way NFL Star Potential Injury Jacksonville Jaguars Colorado Buffaloes Liam Coen Deion Sanders Draft CU — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is pressured by Kansas City Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks (21) during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A six-month absence means Hunter will return in mid-May, although the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner has often shown the ability to recover from injuries sooner than expected. Still, Hunter should get in a full summer of OTAs and minicamp practices.

On Wednesday, Jacksonville coach Liam Coen was asked about the potential of Hunter remaining a two-way player when he returns healthy next year.

"I understand there's a lot of questions about if he'll remain a two-way player and all those kind of things," Coen said, per the Jaguars. "All of that is very premature and at the end of the day, like every player on this roster, he'll be evaluated at the end of the season and we'll be able to give him his three best and the things that we need to continue to improve upon and the things we need to build on."

Rookie Season To Build On

Hunter played in seven games before going down with the injury, seeing limited action at both wide receiver and cornerback. He'll close his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown to go along with 15 total tackles and three passes defended.

At Colorado, Hunter played nearly every offensive and defensive snap when healthy, closing his two-year stint in Boulder with 1,989 receiving yards, 21 total touchdowns, seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups and one forced fumble. He became CU's second Heisman Trophy winner and was ultimately selected by Jacksonville with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Coen admitted that getting to know Hunter's abilities remains a learning process.

"I definitely think the whole process, the whole thing's been a learning experiment," Coen said. "But getting to know the person has obviously been the most important thing and the type of competitor, the way that he learns, the way that he competes, the way that he practices, that stuff that we've been able to gain valuable information on and be able to use moving forward and actually put in a continued practice."