Just because Hunter excelled in both roles at the collegiate level doesn’t mean he can do the same in the NFL.
Travis Hunter played under head Coach Deion Sanders at Colorado, following “Primetime” as the two transitioned from Jackson State to Boulder. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2024 as a two-way player, the first player to do so since Charles Woodson (1997, Michigan). In that award-winning season, Hunter caught 92 passes, gained 1,152 yards, and scored 14 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 32 tackles, four interceptions, eleven pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
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Then, it was off to the NFL, selected by Jacksonville in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he continued as a dual-threat player, totaling 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown on offense while registering 15 tackles and three pass deflections on defense. Those numbers would have been higher had he not suffered a non-contact tear of the lateral collateral ligament against the Chiefs, an injury that ended his season in November.
He spent the off-season getting back into game shape, and the regimen added muscle mass to his already athletic frame. In four weeks this year, limited action has yielded modest results: one reception on eight targets for eight yards, three rushing yards, and one interception and three passes defended.
Hunter’s talents are still on full display, as shown by this interception in the Bengals’ game last Sunday against Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins.
While it’s early season, questions are being raised about whether it’s in Hunter’s and the Jaguars’ best interest to have him playing offense and defense. The NFL is already an upgrade from college, and playing both sides of the ball puts his body at greater risk of injury.
That’s not saying Hunter can’t succeed in both roles, but it raises a cautionary flag about future productivity, despite Hunter’s expressed goal of playing every snap.
Would he and the team be better served by specializing in one role or the other?
