Liam Coen's Encouraging Statement on Travis Hunter's Two-Way Prospects

The Jacksonville Jaguars have high hopes for second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr. Otherwise, they wouldn't have traded an absolute haul to move up and grab him in the first round; sending two firsts, a second, and a fourth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns to climb three spots and get another fourth in return.

While Hunter Jr. could have been a top-five pick on his merits as a wide receiver alone, part of the allure surrounding the former Colorado Buffaloes star was his ability to dominate games on both sides of the football. Despite his continued assertion that he wants to play defense in the NFL, many doubt that he'll be able to be a two-way player at the professional level.

He's been practicing as both a wide receiver and a cornerback for the Jags so far in training camp, and new head coach Liam Coen stated that he would get snaps on both offense and defense in Jacksonville's first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, detractors like Los Angeles Rams star wideout Davante Adams have maintained that Hunter Jr. will quickly find out that he won't be nearly as successful as a defender in the NFL.

Kaleb Johnson, Travis Hunter Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL, preseason — Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) outpaces Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) who can’t make the tackle during the second quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Liam Coen affirms Travis Hunter Jr.'s ability to play offense and defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars

With the Colorado Buffaloes, Travis Hunter Jr. averaged 111 snaps per game. Last NFL season, Patrick Mahomes led all offensive players with just over 69 snaps a week. If Hunter Jr. were to match his output with the Jags, it'd be an unprecedented feat.

The league record for snaps played in a single game is 118, just seven more than Hunter Jr.'s collegiate average, held by former Tennessee Titans safety Jordan Babineaux. It makes sense why people would doubt his ability to match his NCAA production with the increased physicality of the NFL.

Speaking to FanDuel TV's Kay Adams, Liam Coen expressed his belief in Hunter Jr.'s stamina and conditioning, though:

"He took a great jump from the spring until now in terms of alignment, assignment, the work that I think he's put in on his own I think has probably been more than we get to see. Football makes sense to him. You kind of say, 'That's a football player.' That's what he is."

"And his conditioning is something that is pretty impressive. Obviously, he's been in altitude for a few years training, which, definitely, I think can help him. Our strength coach, in summer at the end of June, texted me and just said, 'You are right. He doesn't fatigue much. It takes a lot to fatigue him.' So, we'll see how that looks with how many snaps he can play."

"It takes a lot to fatigue him..."

Liam Coen on the jump he's seen Travis Hunter make since the spring. And NO WALKING BACK HOW EASY THIS HAS BEEN FOR HIM 📝. 😂 Incredible and special. @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/oZ5TWCn8Ja
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) August 8, 2025

Travis Hunter Jr. probably won't be threatening Babineaux's single-game snap record anytime soon, but it certainly sounds like the Jaguars and Head Coach Liam Coen are expecting him to play plenty on both offense and defense.

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