BREAKING: Travis Hunter's Preseason Opener Role Revealed

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off the Travis Hunter experiment many months ago.

But in Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, we will get our first look of what it actually is supposed to look like in a game setting.

Plan for Hunter

travis hunte — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen lines up against wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Thursday the Jaguars' starters would play vs. the Steelers at EverBank Stadium, while also confirming Hunter would play both offense and defense.

Hunter has ramped up his two-way practices as of the last week, often swapping between receiver and cornerback throughout the day and even sometimes rotating during the same period of practice.

Now, we will see what exactly that will look like for Hunter when it comes to a real-game scenario.

Hunter did swap between offense and defense during last week's scrimmage, but that was a much more controlled and planned-for situation. Now, we will get a glimpse of what it will acctually look like on Sundays.

“Really excited. If Friday was a glimpse of it, we should all be excited to see him running around out there, wherever it’s at – on offense, defense. Hopefully, more offense. Throw one in there for us there. But just the way he plays, the energy he plays with," Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said earlier this week.

"Even just little things like interacting with the fans and the juice he brings into the stadium. That stuff does mean something. Not everyone necessarily has that personality, but he has something about him that’s just special. The energy he brings and the energy he plays with and the joy and all that stuff. The way he runs around, it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play with a guy like that. I think he’s starting to play a lot faster now that he knows the system and can play free.”

Simply put, Hunter's usage throughout the entire preseason is set to be one of the defining points of this year's NFL preseason slate. There are few stories in the 2025 season that are as capitivating as Hunter and the role the Jaguars have in mind for him, which makes Saturday a major step forward.

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