Liam Coen Just Said What Every Jaguars Fan Needed to Hear About Travis Hunter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- While there has seemingly been constant debate over what the future might hold for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has now said what likely everyone wanted to hear on the subject/

"The plan has not changed at all. He's going to play both sides of the football just as we drafted him to do, and just as, we have the same vision for him in terms of being able to give him those opportunities," Coen said in a clip released by the team on social media.

Just as we drafted him to do...

See it for yourself this fall: https://t.co/oLt5dDy3Pb #DUUUVAL | @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/nQ11A69JVQ
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 6, 2026

"Now, is it day by day in terms of what he looks like in his process of rehab? Absolutely, but the plan to play him on both sides of the ball as much as possible, that has absolutely stayed the same. It has stayed consistent. I think people look at naturally and see that Greg Newsome left and that there's a spot there that people are just plugging him into. Well, yeah, love for him to play as much as humanly possible on both sides of the ball.

Simply put, this should be what every single Jaguars fan wants to hear about Hunter and his place in the franchise's plans for 2026 and beyond, and there are a few reasons why.

jacskponville jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) has a laugh with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third mandatory minicamp Thursday June 12, 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

What This Means

Coen's comments come in the wake of people running with wild assumptions about Hunter's role and two-way potential over the course of the offseason. The Jaguars have yet to label Hunter one way or another and have thus not backed themselves into a corner with their deployment of him, though it is clear that Hunter will play more cornerback this season.

Still, the fact that so many people had run with the idea that Hunter would no longer play offense needed to be addressed. Hunter himself has done so, and now Coen and the Jaguars have set the record straight. It still remains to be seen exactly what the split looks like, but Hunter will take snaps at both cornerback and wide receiver this season -- just as the Jaguars have planned for since drafting him.

travis hunte — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) yells as his is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The idea that playing two-ways led to Hunter's injury last season never made much sense considering Hunter sustained a non-contact injury in practice. For the seven games he did play in, he showed little physical reason to suggest he can not handle significant roles at both cornerback and wide receiver.

On the whole, Hunter played 489 snaps for the Jaguars last season: 324 on offense, 162 on defense, and three on special teams. He averaged close to 70 snaps a game, averaging 46.2 snaps a game on offense and 23.14 snaps on defense. Here is how it looked over the first seven games of his career, showing the trend of him increasing his role on offense as a rookie up until his injury.

Week	Defensive Snaps	Defensive Snap %	Offensive Snaps	Offensive Snap %	Total Snaps
Week 1	6	9.4%	42	63.6%	48
Week 2	43	62.3%	42	59.2%	85
Week 3	43	68.3%	37	52.9%	80
Week 4	9	13.6%	38	55.9%	47
Week 5	25	39.1%	39	67.2%	64
Week 6	22	40.0%	59	77.6%	81
Week 7	14	20.0%	67	87.0%	81

If Hunter plays the inverse this year and plays twice as many reps on defense than on offense, he should be able to provide the Jaguars with close to 400 snaps on offense next year in a best-case scenario. This is more than Tim Patrick played last year as the Jaguars' top backup receiver, and could still give him plenty of oppurtutinities to make plays in the passing game and when schemed for by Coen.

The fact that the Jaguars have such good depth at both receiver and cornerback allows them to be in a position to use Hunter however they seem fit week in and week out, but it is clear that it will be easier for him to find playing time and make an impact at cornerback than at receiver. That, however, does not mean that Hunter won't play receiver -- as Coen has now made clear for every doubter and dissenter.

Do not expect much more clarity on the Hunter front before training camp than this, but this is also as much as is needed. Coen has been transparent about the Jaguars' plans and usage of players since being hired, but especially so in the case of Hunter. The former Heisman Trophy-winner is still recovering from his injury, of course, so he will likely not do much during OTAs.

Once training camp kicks off, though, the Jaguars should hopefully have Hunter near 100% and can truly put their plan into motion. In many ways, Hunter is the biggest addition to the Jaguars' roster for the second offseason in a row, and his impact is set to be felt throughout the roster.

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