T
he Jacksonville Jaguars are gearing up for another season. Missing the playoffs for the second straight season, a new regime has taken over, signaling that a new era is underway in Jacksonville. And one of the first moves that the new regime made was trading up to draft two-way superstar, Travis Hunter, a move that proved that the Jaguars are all-in on having a resurgent season.
But since Hunter joined the team, there has been a lot of speculation as to how the Jaguars plan on using their shiny new superstar. Listed as a starter at wide receiver and a backup at cornerback on the first unofficial depth chart, the Jaguars have hinted that they will primarily use Hunter on offense while giving him reps on defense when they see fit. But based on recent practices, Hunter could be in line for a substantial role on defense come Week One.
Hunter Took All of His Reps on Defense Last Practice
During the Jaguars’ training camp practice on August 14, Hunter lined up exclusively at cornerback and took only defensive reps, due in large part to starting cornerback, Tyson Campbell, being day-t0-day with an injury. And even though Hunter has taken plenty of reps at cornerback in training camp, the chance to get more first team reps with Campbell out is his time to prove that he deserves to be a starter on both sides of the ball.
“I think he’s been really serious about doing this and playing at a high level on defense the entire time,” Jaguars defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile, said. “He was kind of steady Eddie as far as that goes the whole way. He’s been locked in the whole time, and I wouldn’t necessarily say I see an uptick, but he’s been pretty disciplined and detailed with it the whole way through.”
Hunter has not been shy about expressing his intentions to start on both sides of the ball. Multiple players throughout the history of the NFL have taken snaps on both sides of the ball, but nobody has been a full-time two-way player in the modern era. If Hunter does it and plays as well as he did in college, he could go down in history.
Hunter’s Role in Camp
Fans got their first look at watching Hunter play both sides of the ball during the Jaguars first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while he did not put up eye opening numbers, his debut proved promising and showed exactly why the Jaguars drafted him as high as they did. Following a schedule that allows him time with coaches on both sides of the ball, Hunter is locked in on mastering the Jaguars’ system and has impressed his coaches with his dedication on learning to play both sides at the NFL level.
“He’s done a great job with splitting time on offense and defense. So, it’s a tough task, but he’s handled it really, really well,” Campanile said. “Like anything else, there are things to correct, but some things he did really good the other day.”
Hunter and the Jaguars will continue their preseason on Sunday, August 17 when they hit the road to take on the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) and will on NFL Network.
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