3 Reasons Why Jaguars' Only Option is to Let Travis Hunter Play Both Ways

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It appears logic and common sense has finally won out, with much of the football world seemingly coming to terms with what to expect from Travis Hunter and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2026.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said this week that the plan of Hunter playing both ways has not changed, something that was also reinforced by Jaguars general manager James Gladstone.

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

Some people may have gotten the wrong messaging in the months beforehand, despite the Jaguars never indicating the case was anything but what it presently is, but it is clear now where Hunter stands. He will play cornerback and he will play receiver -- how much he does of either is still to be determined, but not the fact that he will continue to play both offense and defense.

There are several reasons why Hunter playing both ways for the Jaguars is not just the best option moving forward, but is instead closer to being the only option. We break them down below.

The Jaguars Still Need Hunter at Both Positions

Simply put, there does not appear to be a scenario in which the Jaguars could afford for Hunter not to play both ways. I know that may sound like a big claim, but there is real merit to it. Hunter is arguably the most dynamic athlete on the Jaguars' entire roster, and not using that game-changing talent to the best of his abilities would be a mistake.

Hunter played more receiver than cornerback as a rookie, but in his limited reps at cornerback he looked like the Jaguars' far and away best talent at the position. The Jaguars are deep at cornerback with other talented players like Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis, too, so the fact Hunter stood out says something.

The increase of Hunter's snaps on defense is expected to have a significant impact on the unit, and it sure seems like the Jaguars are banking on Hunter being a lockdown cornerback whose coverage can help aid their pass-rush. The Jaguars showed last year that they can play good defense without Hunter, but he might be what gives them the ability to play great defense.

As for the offensive side of the ball, there is no other receiver that really offers the skill set of Hunter. Hunter can thrive on designed plays in space, something the rest of the room struggled to do a year ago, while he also has the ball skills and contested catch ability that evaded the Jaguars at times last season.

This is How the Jaguars Recoup Value

Simply put, letting Hunter at least attempt to play both sides of the ball is the only realistic path for the Jaguars to really recoup value from the trade up to get him. If he becomes either an elite receiver or an elite cornerback, nobody inside Jacksonville is going to be upset at that outcome. But for him to be elite on one side of the ball while still having the ability to make an impact on the other side is why the Jaguars made the move to get him.

The Jaguars should not operate moving forward with the intention of getting value on the Hunter trade. There is no point in making that a focus, but it is a reality that the Jaguars, at least from the point of view of optics, can not give up on the two-way goals of Hunter this early on in his career. Deviating from the plan at this point would make the Jaguars look unsure of themselves.

But with that in mind, if Hunter does hit and becomes a successful two-way player, the Jaguars will be lauded as setting the tone for arguably the future of the sport. No lessons will be learned if they do not at least go for it.

This is What Makes Hunter Special

Hunter won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado because he was the only player in the country who was an X-Factor on both offense and defense. He would have been the first non-quarterback drafted in the 2025 class had he been only a receiver or only a cornerback, but the fact he showed an All-Pro ceiling at both positions is what makes Hunter special and such a captivating talent.

The fact that Hunter's rookie season ended so early really robbed us of seeing what the next stage of his development was going to look like, but there were still flashes in his first seven games. I the same game he recorded 100 receiving yards, he also broke up a third-down pass against Davantae Adams. Who else is doing that?

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