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Travis Hunter to play offense and defense in Jacksonville Jaguars Friday scrimmage
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- Travis Hunter to play offense and defense in Jacksonville Jaguars Friday scrimmage
Travis Hunter will finally get an opportunity to practice on both sides of the football during training camp when the Jacksonville Jaguars host fans for the team's Friday evening scrimmage on Aug. 1 .
Through five days of camp , Hunter has practiced as a receiver on three days, playing defensive back on two other days, but he has not practiced on both sides of the ball in the same day. We got a sneak peek at that during the team's minicamp in June , with Hunter playing the majority of practice on offense before switching to defense during the team's final period.
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Hunter's potential increase in workload could come at a good time, with Jacksonville dealing with a major injury at the cornerback position.
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Still, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen chose the bright side of things when asked about how injuries may impact the team moving forward in training camp.
"I think it just gives us an opportunity to get guys reps. We expect them back for the season, obviously," Coen said after practice Monday, July 28, when asked about the team's injuries thus far.
Jaguars injuries make way for Travis Hunter , others to get more reps
The Jaguars began camp without linebacker Dennis Gardeck and defensive tackle Maason Smith, who began camp on the team's Active/Physically Unable to Perform list . The team is also dealing with injuries to multiple players, including offensive lineman Patrick Mekari , rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten , receiver Louis Reez-Zammit and tight end Johnny Mundt .
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The biggest injury, however, is to Jaguars CB Montaric "Buster" Brown , who had an opportunity to start opposite Tyson Campbell this season. Brown is dealing with a lower leg injury that will force him to miss the remainder of training camp. The team has not given a timeline for his return.
All players that have missed time have not returned to practice since sustaining their injuries.
Brown's injury in particular could give way to Hunter's increased workload. Coen agrees with that assessment, but not just for Hunter, but for other corners on the roster, too.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) punches the ball out of a tackling dummy while running drills during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third mandatory minicamp Thursday June 12, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"So gives a great op for Jarrian Jones , Travis [Hunter] to continue to get quality reps, Tre Prince [CB De'Antre Prince] and some of these guys to continue to get reps, Zech McPhearson [CB Zechariah McPhearson] and same with Christian Braswell . So, it just gives us odds," Coen said, essentially rattling off the team's depth chart at corner.
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"It's a bummer a little bit for Buster. I love Buster, but it is always anytime that happens. It is a completely new window and opportunity for somebody else. So the reps are quality for us."
Two depth players that Coen mentioned, McPhearson and Braswell, have stood out at camp and could benefit from extra reps that they ought to receive in Brown's stead.
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Jaguars to use Friday scrimmage to further evaluate Travis Hunter
The Jaguars won't manipulate Hunter's schedule due to Brown's injury, but Coen did share some insight into how the team wants to further evaluate the position group and Hunter at Friday's scrimmage.
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"I think what will happen, he's on offense, he'll go back to defense before our mock game scrimmage and be able to kind of use that mock as an evaluation to see, alright, what do we need to do now?" Coen said.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass while running routes during an NFL training camp fifth session at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"What did it look like in the scrimmage? Do we need to maybe get him more on defense? Or hey, these other guys are producing and developing, and we can keep with the schedule as is. That'll be kind of a, not a defining moment, but an evaluation time for us."
Hunter is expected to play both offense and defense at Friday's scrimmage. Coen was asked whether Hunter would play exclusively on defense Friday and the first-year head coach responded simply: "No."
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That will give fans and other observers a glimpse into how the Jaguars may use Hunter during the regular season. Hunter is determined to play both sides of the ball on a full-time basis at a high level. Thus far, he is on his way to doing so and Friday's scrimmage is another marker to check off.
Jaguars will return to full pads on Tuesday
The Jaguars will hit the field again Tuesday, July 29, a return to full pads.
After Monday's practice, Coen said he was pleased with how the team looked on the first day in pads. He noted, too, that the offensive line did well in the run game.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) prepares to punch the ball loose during an NFL training camp fifth session at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"I thought that the offense came out and kind of set the tone a little bit offensively in the run game, throughout the course of the day. Now there were still some good plays here and there on both sides, but I was pleased to see physicality but taking care of one another," Coen said.
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"It didn't get sloppy or stupid. It was just good, quality work. We put the pads on. That doesn't mean we have to cheap shot each other or do anything ridiculous. I thought it was just good quality work from both sides and got our first day of pads in."
The Jaguars cut practice a little short Monday, but plan to pick it back up Tuesday to get a full workload in.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter to play both sides at Jacksonville Jaguars scrimmage
