Jaguars' Travis Hunter is Uniquely Prepared for NFL Pressure

Jacksonville Jaguars' star Travis Hunter is as prepared for what he is about to face as anyone can be.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) jogs to his next drill during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday June 10, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacksonville Jaguars' star Travis Hunter's rookie year isn't going to look like many others.

In fact, Hunter is already set to make history as a rookie. He has done it before his first snap, inspiring another NFL player to practice at two positions just as he has in Green Bay Packers' Bo Melton.

Hunter is set to do something no other player has done in NFL history: be a full-time player on both sides of the ball. Considering the mental and physical hurdles that are set for any player with those hopes, it is quite the ambitious endeavor.

And with that ambition comes attention. With attention comes expectations. And with expectations comes pressure.

Hunter is set to face a rare level of pressure as a rookie. Every one of his moves, practice reps, and days spent between the offense and defense will be under the microscope and dissected by analysts, insiders, NFL fans, believers, and doubters.

It isn't the kind of pressure most rookies face. Even Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't face it as the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

"There's a lot, obviously, being thrown on him. Being a high pick, playing both ways. I can understand being drafted high and the expectations, but I didn't play both ways. That's another world," Lawrence said at the end of minicamp last week.

But here is the key, and the real reason the Jaguars felt so confident in sending a king's ransom to the Cleveland Browns to have a chance to draft Hunter at No. 2: Hunter can handle it.

In fact, Hunter's entire football life has prepared him for the pressure and scrutiny he may face as the NFL's most interesting player.

The consensus top recruit out of high school, Hunter turned down the chance to play for the Florida State Seminoles in favor of playing for Deion Sanders at Jackson State. It was an unprecendented move, and the onus was on Hunter to make it work -- which he did with ease.

Then there was pressure as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes. Could Hunter really play over 100 snaps a game for a program that had fallen on hard times before his arrival?

He did just that, earning a Heisman Trophy in the process.

Hunter has faced pressure head on at every step of his football life, and he has crushed it each time.

Expect no less in the NFL, especially in 2025.

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