One of the players who will be eagerly watched by many in Week 1 is Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter Jr. It's part of the territory of being one of the highly touted newcomers, and the curiosity is even more so for Hunter since he's a two-position standout in college.
The Jaguars will open their season at home against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. EverBank Stadium is expected to be packed, with fans excited to see Hunter, who was drafted by Jacksonville as the second overall pick, in action.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Jaguars have listed the 22-year-old as a starting wide receiver and backup cornerback in their depth chart versus the Panthers.
On Jacksonville’s Week 1 depth chart: pic.twitter.com/8B7fUpTU0p
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2025
That definitely bodes well for Hunter, who hasn't been shy in expressing his desire to make an immediate impact for the Jaguars. While there will be heavy pressure, he has said he's just happy to fulfill his lifelong dream to play in the NFL and he will make sure that he won't take it for granted.
There have been concerns about how Hunter can adjust to the heightened physicality in the league following his stellar run at Colorado. His speed and athleticism, however, could help him produce numbers.
On offense, he will play alongside Trevor Lawrence, Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Etienne Jr., among others. If he sees any action on defense, he will likely spell Jarrian Jones.
Fans are hoping that Hunter could be the game-changer for the Jaguars, who have only made the playoffs once in the last seven seasons.
The Heisman Trophy winner suffered an upper-body injury late in training camp. Jaguars coach Liam Coen remained even-keeled when asked on Monday about Hunter's readiness for Week 1.
“We're still working through it right now. He obviously missed a lot of time that can impact playing anybody, especially a rookie who misses quite a bit of time. So what that usage looks like, we're still working through,” said
Coen in a report from Jaguars Wire's Paul Bretl.
No player from the Jaguars has ever won a Rookie of the Year nod.
