Travis Hunter Plays Both Ways in Jaguars Scrimmage, Draws Praise from HC Liam Coen

Travis Hunter's first real test playing on both sides of the ball in the NFL during the Jacksonville Jaguars' scrimmage on Friday night went very well, according to his head coach.

Liam Coen told reporters after the scrimmage that Hunter played "great" and they were able to get him "enough reps" on offense and defense to see what they wanted:

"We got him the work that we wanted to get with him on offense early on and then able to get him on defense and get him enough reps. That was what we were hoping to do tonight in terms of just get him on both sides of the ball, quality work. I know he [didn't] get much [action at cornerback] because the [first-team] D-line was getting a good rush, so it was a little hard to see. I thought when he had the ball in his hands [on offense] and he operated, he operated at a high level."

Coen also had an amusing quip when talking about Hunter when he had the ball in his hands.

Coen announced on Monday that Hunter would get snaps on both sides of the ball during the team's scrimmage for the first time since he was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, calling it "an evaluation time" for the coaching staff.

Per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Hunter played a total of 38 snaps (21 on defense) and caught three passes for 43 yards.

DiRocco also noted Hunter has played 177 of the 474 total snaps the Jaguars have run through their first eight training camp practices with a nearly identical split between offense (89) and defense (88).

When Hunter was on defense, he wasn't targeted by Jaguars backup quarterback Nick Mullens.

The Jaguars entered camp with a very deliberate plan in place to get Hunter ready for the rigors of playing on both sides of the ball when the regular season begins. It remains to be seen if the experiment is going to work, but Friday was another step in the right direction for the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.

Hunter's next major hurdle will come on Aug. 9 when the Jaguars play their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Everbank Stadium.