There is a different buzz around the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason after remaking some of the roster and a lot of the coaching staff and front office, most notably bringing in Liam Coen as the new head coach after an excellent season as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator.
The Jaguars also made a big move to go up in the draft and get Coen a new weapon to utilize in the offense this year. Jacksonville moved up to No. 2 overall to draft Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter out of Colorado in hopes that he can come in and contribute on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and cornerback.
Unfortunately, Hunter has been dealing with an upper-body injury during a lot of the preseason and played in just one preseason game as a result. However, he got a positive injury update on Wednesday and should be ready to go for Jacksonville's season opener on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
“Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick who missed time in recent weeks with an upper body injury, isn't on the initial injury report and is on track to make his regular-season NFL debut Sunday vs. Carolina,” Pelissero reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Hunter has been primarily playing wide receiver during training camp and the preseason when healthy and should give Trevor Lawrence a pair of elite weapons to work with on the outside. Brian Thomas Jr. had a breakout season a as rookie in 2024, and he and Hunter should immediately form one of the most explosive duos in football.
Hunter is also listed as a second-string cornerback on the Jaguars' depth chart, so he should also see some snaps on that side of the ball when the season gets going on Sunday. Throughout his college career, Hunter showed that he can be one of the best players on the field on both sides of the ball and he will be hoping that those skills will translate to the pro level.
Hunter's debut will be one of the most highly-anticipated in all of the NFL over the weekend, so all eyes will be on the two-way star to see how he makes his mark.
