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Should Jaguars star Travis Hunter play both ways? Hear both sides
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- Should Jaguars star Travis Hunter play both ways? Hear both sides
Jackonville Jaguars receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's rookie season ended on Oct. 30, 2025, when he sustained a right lateral collateral ligament injury in practice that required surgery 12 days later.
Hunter, the second overall pick selected by the Jaguars after they traded up one spot with the Cleveland Browns , was set to take on an increased role offensively after catching eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars ' loss to the Los Angeles Rams .
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In seven games, Hunter caught 28 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown and accouted for 15 tackles and three pass break-ups on defense.
Heading into his second season, the question lingers: Should Hunter play on both sides of the ball or concentrate on one spot ?
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone says he expects Hunter to play both ways .
Times-Union sports writers Garry Smits agrees, while T-U columnist Ryan O'Halloran does not.
Today, the two veteran journalists debate the issue.
After reading their arguments, vote at the poll below.
Ryan O'Halloran, Times-Union columnist
I'm going to lose this poll, but I will carry on …
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This is a time-on-task league. Practice. Walk-throughs. Meetings. Extra video work. The best players become the best players because they're athletically gifted and are the hardest workers … and they're focusing on one position.
Add to the equation Hunter will be returning from a lengthy rehabilitation that might keep him out of organized team activities in May/June (either because he's not cleared or the Jaguars are being cautious) and it makes sense for Hunter to focus on cornerback in 2026.
Become the Jaguars' No. 1 cornerback and if the situation calls for it, sprinkle in some offensive snaps.
It is an opinion based entirely on need . Where do the Jaguars need Hunter the most?
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First, let's take a look at last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs the ball during the 10th organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The ineffectiveness of Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown , coupled with the trade for cornerback Greg Newsome , had the Jaguars planning on Hunter playing receiver after the Week 8 bye. The injury nixed that and receiver Jakobi Meyers was acquired via trade from Las Vegas .
In Hunter's absence, Meyers thrived (and signed a contract extension) and Parker Washington emerged. If Thomas returns, there is your top three along with tight end Brenton Strange . I like that group. Don't you?
Cornerback is more unsettled.
Greg Newsome and Buster Brown are free agents . I would make Brown a priority and pair him with Hunter. Jourdan Lewis will be back at nickel and Jarrian Jones can be a versatile option.
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Watching Hunter's defensive tape from 2025, I'm in no position to state teams didn't throw his way. We don't know the progression of the play call. What I did like is how fluid and comfortable Hunter looked in man coverage.
Get Hunter as many snaps as possible in training camp at cornerback and get him ready to be the top cover player. If injuries or a downturn in production strike at receiver, then the Jaguars can pivot and will get no argument from me.
This is about making team history, not two-way player history.
Garry Smits, Times-Union reporter
Let the kid play.
Let him play on both sides of the ball, at two positions, for as long as he wants.
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He wants it. I'm pretty sure Jacksonville Jaguars fans want it.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12), center, takes a selfie with brothers JJ Rivera, 14, left, and Gary DeLeon-Rivera during the second mandatory minicamp at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 11, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
When Travis Hunter , the Jaguars' No. 1 draft pick in 2025 , returns to the field for OTAs or minicamp in May, after missing the final 10 games of the season with a knee injury, there will almost surely be more voices than my esteemed colleague Ryan O'Halloran who will call for the Jaguars to make a decision.
Offense or defense.
Wide receiver or cornerback.
And stick with it, at least until it's definitive, or not that Hunter can be the first full-time two-way player in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik of Philadelphia in the early 1960s.
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It's why the Jaguars invested so much draft capital, a fourth-round pick in 2025 and the first-round selection in 2026 , to see if Hunter, who won the 2024 Heisman Trophy for playing both ways, and well, for Colorado.
Hunter and the Jaguars should see this grand experiment out longer than seven games.
Does anyone need to be reminded that in the final game Hunter played , against the Los Angeles Rams, he had a season-high eight receptions and 101 yards, and caught his first NFL TD pass from Trevor Lawrence , from 34 yards out?
Yes, the game was over by that point. But it was the first 100-yard game by a Jaguars receiver of the season and Hunter had been building to that moment, plus many more, with some flash plays on offense.
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On defense, he was more than holding his own. While Hunter didn't have an interception, he displayed good tackling skills, knocking down three passes, and, according to those who put stock in Pro Football Focus, he was 11th among 84 NFL cornerbacks in passer rating allowed when targeted in his last three games (52.68).
Hunter had fewer defensive snaps, averaging 23.1 per game, as opposed to 46.2 on offense. But quarterbacks also were shying away from him, leery of his ball skills.
Point being, it's too early to pull the plug on playing Hunter both ways. He'll turn 23 years old during OTAs, so he's got years before he reaches his physical peak and double duty will be too taxing ― if it ever does. He never asked out of a game to anyone's knowledge and never got beat on a play, or stopped running a route, because he appeared tired.
If you're asking me if he'd perform better concentrating on one job, I won't argue the point. Funny thing, though ... I've seen those who think he should play only one position weigh in on both sides.
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If you're asking me if adding Jakobi Meyers to the wide receiver room, the blossoming of Parker Washington , and a possible rejuvenation of Brian Thomas Jr. might mean Hunter's value to the team is best served by playing only cornerback next season, I won't argue either.
But don't throw away that card. Don't limit the options of a special athlete who may only come along once in a generation. If nothing else, keep opposing teams guessing and make them use meeting and practice time preparing for Hunter on both sides of the ball.
And if it's best for the team, let the kid play.
It's your turn
What do you think? Vote on our poll:
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Should Jaguars play Travis Hunter on offense, defense in 2026? Vote now
