T
he Jacksonville Jaguars in the midst of a skid, and are also struggling to cope without one of their most important players. Losing three out of their last four games, the Jaguars are coming off of a 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans— a game that they had a big lead in, but faltered in the fourth quarter. And what made the loss so much tougher was the fact that they lost without star rookie, Travis Hunter.
Hunter, drafted second overall by the Jaguars in this year’s draft, sustained a knee injury in practice the week of Halloween. While the injury initially seemed like something that would allow him to return at some point this season, it was later revealed that Hunter tore the LCL in his right knee– requiring season-ending surgery. And with Hunter already out with a season-ending injury as a rookie, head coach Liam Coen was asked about Hunter’s future as a two-way player. And his answer is grim for those hoping to see Hunter become the NFL’s first great two-way superstar.
Hunter’s Future as a Two-Way Player is Not Guaranteed
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, Hunter led all of college football in total snaps played last season, playing virtually every down for the Colorado Buffaloes at both wide receiver and cornerback. Entering the NFL, Hunter was the highest anticipated prospect in years, with questions arising as to if he could continue his two way dominance in the pros. Coen initially expressed his desire to integrate Hunter on both sides of the ball but now that he is hurt, the Jaguars want to be extra careful with him before determining if he will stay as a two-way player.
“I understand there’s a lot of questions about if he’ll remain a two-way player and all those kind of things,” Coen said. “All of that is very premature and at the end of the day, like every player on this roster, he’ll be evaluated at the end of the season and we’ll be able to give him his three better, three best and the things that we need to continue to improve upon and the things we need to build on.”
In addition to those comments, Coen was hesitant to say whether or not Hunter would be the No. 1 receiver and cornerback for the team upon his return, but did say he would take a look at how he was used in seven games this season in order to make the best decision.
Hunter’s Season Before the Injury
Losing Hunter is a huge for the Jaguars, but before he got hurt, he wasn’t exactly lighting up the stat sheet. Thought seven games, Hunter had 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown– averaging 10.6 yards per catch– while on defense, he had 15 total tackles and three passes defended without an interception. Hunter does have massive upside and a high ceiling, but he struggled to find his footing as a rookie.
And because he did not get a full season to acclimate to the NFL, expect Hunter to take the first part of next season to get re-adjusted, which could mean another slow start. But the Jaguars can also use the time he is out to really figure out how to use him so that when he comes back, he already has a clear cut role.
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