The Travis Hunter Experience Has Been Interesting…

The Travis Hunter experiment in Jacksonville has become one of the NFL’s 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.

“Travis set a great angle for me to throw it and made a great play on the ball,” 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. He’s played 58% of the offensive snaps and 38% of the defensive ones, a workload almost unheard of for a rookie.

“There’s absolutely a push and pull of saying, ‘What’s too much? What’s enough?’” offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said. “We want to try to maximize, and at the same time optimize, his time on the field.”

Head coach Liam Coen has limited Hunter to slot receiver and outside cornerback duties for now. The plan is to simplify, then expand later.

“We can probably do a better job of helping him,” Coen said. “We’ve 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.”

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The Workload Question

Deion Sanders, Hunter’s former college coach and former NFL star, has been vocal about Jacksonville’s usage.

“They’re not using him enough… I know what he’s capable of and how you got to take care of him,” Sanders said on the New Heights podcast.

Former two way NFL standout Roy Green agreed: “You’ve already determined he’s the best athlete that came in the draft. OK, so find as many opportunities to give him the ball.”

The Jaguars say they’re listening but staying patient. Coen meets weekly with the team’s performance staff to review Hunter’s workload.

“It’s something we need to constantly evaluate and tweak if necessary,” Coen said.

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What Comes Next

Hunter’s 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.

“He’s progressing, getting better every week,” defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said.

Hunter’s 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. 

And that’s what makes the “Travis Hunter Experience” so interesting. It’s not just about the stats or the snaps, it’s about watching a one of one athlete redefine what’s possible, even if the process looks a little messy along the way.

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