How Trevor Lawrence Views Jaguars' Travis Hunter Entering 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There is no secret which way Trevor Lawrence will ever lean when it comes to Travis Hunter.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' No. 2 pick from a year ago, Hunter played extensive snaps at both cornerback and wide receiver as a rookie. After he was sidelined following seven games due to a non-contact knee injury in a Week 9 practice, Hunter is expected to continue to playing both ways when he returns to the field.

But for Lawrence, there will always be a clear lean for Hunter's unique talent: offense, where Hunter can provide Lawrence with yet another big weapon in the passing game.

Lawrence Talks Hunter

Speaking to Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' this week, Lawrence weighed in on Hunter, his rookie season, and what he hopes to see moving forward.

Trevor Lawrence gives a full breakdown of his wide receiver room.
- Jakobi Meyers' great spatial awareness
- Parker Washington's natural talent
- Why he wants to still see Travis Hunter on offense
- How Brian Thomas Jr. handled a challenging season pic.twitter.com/mGgcwCCBVb
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) February 6, 2026

"I think just the way, you know, the way he is, his personality, I think this injury and rookie year, is only going to just make him better ... He was starting to really get going on offense, and we were starting to click," Lawrence told Harmon.

"So it was tough timing, and I really hated it for our team and for him, but I do think we will look back on it's an area where he could grow and get to sit in meetings and see installs every week, and not necessarily have the physical stress on his body, but he gets to learn, and he'll feel even more confident coming into the spring of knowing the system.:

trevor lawrence travis hunterv — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) talks technique with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) after 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 general manager James Gladstone said last month that Hunter, while still playing both ways, can be expected to see an expanded defensive role in 2026, considering the current construction of the Jaguars' roster.

The Jaguars are deeper at receiver now after the addition of Jakobi Meyers and the explosion of Parker Washington than they were when they drafted Hunter, while they are now lighter on defense and at cornerback. With that said, the offensive-minded Liam Coen will still surely find ways to work him in on offense after he began to improve at receiver right before his injury.

trevor lawrence travis hunter — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the 10th organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"But who knows, as far as offense, defense, that split, I don't know what that's going to look like. You know, it's not necessarily my decision, but I think it's going to be where the team needs him most. And obviously he can play both. He has shown that he can, so who knows what the rep count looks like," Lawrence said.

"But I know he's a special receiver when he gets the ball in his hands, and just his ability to go up and make any catch is pretty unique, and not not a lot of guys have that. So as a quarterback, you want to see him on the field on offense too. But to your point, you know, Parker's earned his opportunity as well. So we got to figure out the best way to go about that. And we got a lot of guys that can play, and that's a good thing, so we'll figure it out."

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Jaguars when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and make sure you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.