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Jaguars coach Liam Coen pleased with team, Trevor Lawrence's performance at scrimmage
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- Jaguars coach Liam Coen pleased with team, Trevor Lawrence's performance at scrimmage
Everything went according to plan Friday night during the Jacksonville Jaguars ' intrasquad scrimmage .
Multiple players stood out during the nearly three-hour event that included typical individual drills and warm-ups ahead of the mock game itself.
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No players, though, were more impressive than quarterback Trevor Lawrence , the team's franchise player.
On multiple occasions throughout the night, Lawrence appeared in control and steady in the pocket, able to find connections with all of his top receivers, including Brian Thomas Jr. , Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown alongside tight end Brenton Strange .
In all, Lawrence completed 19 of 27 passes for 241 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The interception occurred near the end of the scrimmage by backup corner Zechariah McPhearson. The performance drew all smiles from head coach Liam Coen, too.
Coen didn't have to say much when initially asked, only: "I thought he played awesome," when asked about Lawrence's performance. He'd later give his full evaluation of the QB, and the quick summary matched the long brief with a couple of easily fixable exceptions.
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QUICK RECAP: Jacksonville Jaguars stadium scrimmage: Trevor Lawrence connects with Brian Thomas for two TDs
"I thought he was making sharp, fast decisions. The ball was getting driven constantly. I thought it was getting driven. He missed a few for sure. He missed Travis [Hunter] down on the goal line behind, when [linebacker] Ventrell [Miller] made a great play, but that ball's got to be out in front," Coen explained.
Trevor Lawrence shines in Jaguars intrasquad scrimmage
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) prepares to take a snap before an NFL scrimmage at EverBank Stadium Friday August 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Early during the scrimmage, Jacksonville's first-team offense was positioned a few yards outside of the end zone. Lawrence dropped back and had Hunter open to his right for a touchdown. However, the ball was thrown behind the rookie two-way player, knocked down by second-year LB Ventrell Miller .
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Lawrence's only other poor play was due to a variety of factors, including an imperfectly run route and a decision to make a play that probably wasn't there.
"The interception's a tough one. [WR] Parker [Washington] took a little long on the route. We had an out in a corner combination down here. The guy that had the out covered fell off. He lobbed it in the back of the end zone," Coen explained.
"Just move on, progress, or throw it in the back of the end zone but I just thought he made good sharp decisions. He drove the ball. I thought he ran the show well. I thought it was a good night for him."
Jacksonville's offense featured plenty of dynamic plays, including 20-plus-yard completions to Thomas, Hunter and Brown. In all, Thomas caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Hunter caught three passes for 43 yards. Strange, the team's top tight end, caught five passes for 59 yards.
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Defensively, Jacksonville looked equally as explosive at times. During the event, defensive lineman Travon Walker found the backfield for would-be sacks at least three times, while veteran corner Jourdan Lewis picked off backup QB Nick Mullens on a diving interception near the start of the scrimmage.
In all, Coen was satisfied, but understood the work was just beginning.
"I thought there was a lot of explosive plays. Guys made plays, made some contested catches that we hadn't really been making at times. Ton of explosives on both sides. Had the interception, obviously, with J Lew [CB Jourdan Lewis]. Great play," Coen said.
"I just thought it was cool to see all groups make a play, make some sort of a play. I thought it was well executed for the most part. Had some false starts, couple of holds. It wasn't perfect, but thought it was a good start."
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Travis Hunter takes the field on both sides, shows off explosiveness
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) dances during an NFL scrimmage event at EverBank Stadium, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
As Coen indicated before the scrimmage earlier in training camp, Hunter would be deployed on both sides of the ball during the team's scrimmage.
Hunter began his day on offense, working with the first-team offense primarily with Lawrence, Thomas and Brown as the team's primary ball movers. One of Hunter's catches drew a buzz in the crowd as the rookie wideout found open space in the middle of the field and showed off his explosiveness to get downfield.
Defensively, Hunter played a large portion of the second half of the scrimmage, but was not often targeted. Still, one play to note was an example of Hunter's conditioning and speed. A Jaguars receiver caught the football, racing down the field. From the opposite side of the field, Hunter tracked down the ball carrier.
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Though other Jaguars defenders were close by, it's obvious Hunter would be the primary player to chase someone down on either side of the ball.
Travis Hunter tracker: Jacksonville Jaguars rookie plays offense and defense in scrimmage
Coen was impressed.
"I mean, you guys saw it. Pretty cool in space, isn't he? I thought it was great. We got him the work that we wanted to get with him on offense early on and then able to get him on defense and get him enough reps," Coen explained.
"That was what we were hoping to do tonight in terms of just get him on both sides of the ball, quality work. I know he doesn't get much because of the one d line was getting a good rush, so it was a little hard to see but, I thought when he had the ball in his hands and he operated, he operated at a high level."
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The Hunter project will continue throughout the rest of camp, with his first in-game action likely to come next week as the team takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in EverBank Stadium.
For fans hoping to get an autograph from the rookie, you likely won't be disappointed next weekend as Hunter was the last player off the field after the scrimmage and signed everything he could before being whisked away. It's not normal, but he isn't a normal football player.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) signs autographs during an NFL scrimmage event at EverBank Stadium, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
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: Jaguars' Coen on scrimmage: Lawrence was awesome, Hunter looked explosive
