Travis Hunter Reportedly to Be 'Every-Down WR' and 'Situational CB' in Jaguars Debut

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter will reportedly take more snaps on offense than on defense in his NFL debut.

The Jaguars plan to use Hunter as "every-down wide receiver and situational corner" during Sunday's season opener against the Carolina Panthers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday.

That won't be the case for every game Hunter plays in this season, according to Schefter.

The Jags reportedly plan "to mix up Hunter's usage throughout the course of the season," potentially including entire games spent at either wide receiver or cornerback, Schefter reported.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen said Friday that his staff would determine a plan for Hunter's usage within the next 24 hours.

Hunter split snaps almost evenly on offense and defense during training camp, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, as well as during his Jaguars debut in Week 1 of the preseason.

He then missed multiple practices and the next two preseason games with an upper-body injury that Coen said the team would take into consideration in their game plan.

"He did miss some time, and so that's something that we just need to make sure we're aware of, and keeping engaged as coaches to make sure that if he's getting a little lost or doesn't know what he's doing on a few things, well, maybe we need to reel it back a little and get him a rest here, maybe, for a sec," Coen said Friday. "Whatever it is, we've got to be flexible."

The Jaguars traded up to select Hunter with the No. 2 pick of the 2025 draft after his Heisman Trophy winning 2024 campaign with Colorado, during which he racked up 1,443 snaps through 12 games as a wide receiver and cornerback.

There have been indications early in Hunter's NFL development that the Jaguars were trending toward using him more on offense. Hunter spent more time with that unit during training camp as the team focused on building chemistry between him and Trevor Lawrence, per The Athletic's Mike Jones.

He was then listed as a starting wide receiver and a second-string cornerback on the Jaguars' first unofficial depth chart of the regular season. 

Whether more defensive snaps are added Hunter's workload going forward could depend on how well the rookie performs when the Jaguars kick off the regular season Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against the Panthers.