The Jacksonville Jaguars will deploy two-way star Travis Hunter primarily as a cornerback in the 2026 season, scaling back his role as a wide receiver, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported Friday.
The Jaguars believe the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner can develop into an “elite” NFL cornerback while still being an “impact player” on offense, per Wolfe. In the 2025 season, he played more than twice as many snaps on offense as on defense, but that balance is set to flip entering Year 2. Jacksonville may also allow one of its free-agent cornerbacks, Montaric Brown or Greg Newsome, to depart, a sign that the team trusts Hunter's move to the defensive side.
Hunter is expected to be fully cleared for Week 1 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament suffered during practice ahead of Week 9 this past season.
Selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after the Jaguars traded up, Hunter's rookie season was cut short after seven games. Offensively, he caught 28 passes on 45 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown. His best outing came in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, when he caught eight passes for 101 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown from Trevor Lawrence. Defensively, he recorded 15 tackles and three pass breakups, allowing a 60 percent completion rate on 15 targets before landing on injured reserve.
The 22-year-old's got a heavy-duty two-way resume. At Colorado in 2024, he played nearly 1,400 scrimmage snaps, 382 more than any other player nationally, en route to becoming the only player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff Awards.
Head coach Liam Coen has made clear that the team will remain flexible with Hunter's role, stressing that his usage will be determined after evaluating the roster’s strengths. Jacksonville's receiver group includes Jakobi Meyers, who had 42 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games with the team in 2025, and Parker Washington, who finished with 58 catches for 847 yards and five scores. Brian Thomas Jr., one year removed from a 1,200-yard rookie campaign, also factors into the rotation. With that depth, Hunter is likely to rotate into select offensive packages rather than handle a full-time receiving role.
