The Travis Hunter experiment in Jacksonville has become one of the NFLâs most fascinating stories, and maybe its most complicated.
When the Jaguars struck a blockbuster deal with the Browns sending two first rounders, a second, and a fourth to move up from No. 5 to No. 2, they knew they were taking a risk on a once in a generation two way talent in Travis Hunter.
But so far, the results have been⦠interesting.
Against the 49ers in Week 4, Trevor Lawrence fired one to Hunter, who leapt and hauled in a crazy 28 yard gain.
âTravis set a great angle for me to throw it and made a great play on the ball,â Lawrence said.
It was exactly the type of play the Jaguars had envisioned when they drafted the Heisman winner out of Colorado.
However, through four weeks Hunter has managed just 13 catches for 118 yards as well as 11 tackles and one pass breakup. Heâs played 58% of the offensive snaps and 38% of the defensive ones, a workload almost unheard of for a rookie.
âThereâs absolutely a push and pull of saying, âWhatâs too much? Whatâs enough?ââ offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said. âWe want to try to maximize, and at the same time optimize, his time on the field.â
Head coach Liam Coen has limited Hunter to slot receiver and outside cornerback duties for now. The plan is to simplify, then expand later.
âWe can probably do a better job of helping him,â Coen said. âWeâve got to put him in positions to maybe not have to do as many moving parts so that we can just let him go play.â
The Workload Question

Jags WR and CB Travis Hunter
Deion Sanders, Hunterâs former college coach and former NFL star, has been vocal about Jacksonvilleâs usage.
âTheyâre not using him enough… I know what heâs capable of and how you got to take care of him,â Sanders said on the New Heights podcast.
Former two way NFL standout Roy Green agreed: âYouâve already determined heâs the best athlete that came in the draft. OK, so find as many opportunities to give him the ball.â
The Jaguars say theyâre listening but staying patient. Coen meets weekly with the teamâs performance staff to review Hunterâs workload.
âItâs something we need to constantly evaluate and tweak if necessary,â Coen said.
What Comes Next

Jags WR and CB Travis Hunter
Hunterâs advanced stats hint at growth: his 3.13 yards of separation per route is the best on the team and ranks ahead of stars like Amon Ra St. Brown and Tee Higgins.
âHeâs progressing, getting better every week,â defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said.
Hunterâs long term plan is pretty clear: establish a base, then expand. Until then, the Jaguars need to find the happy medium between patience and potential.Â
And thatâs what makes the âTravis Hunter Experienceâ so interesting. Itâs not just about the stats or the snaps, itâs about watching a one of one athlete redefine whatâs possible, even if the process looks a little messy along the way.
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