Travis Hunter is starting to look like the piece Jacksonville has been chasing for years.
Since the Jaguars moved on from Jalen Ramsey in 2019, they’ve taken plenty of swings at cornerback - high draft picks like CJ Henderson in 2020 and Tyson Campbell in 2021, plus a notable investment in Shaquill Griffin in 2021. They’ve even developed useful starters in Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones. But the one thing they’ve never quite found is the true No. 1 corner who belongs in the league’s top tier.
Hunter has long been viewed as the best shot at solving that problem, and through the opening stretch of training camp, he’s giving Jacksonville every reason to believe it.
As a rookie, Hunter showed he could handle cornerback, but the roster around him pushed his workload toward receiver. He played twice as many snaps on offense as defense, and the Jaguars clearly leaned into the idea of using him as a two-way weapon with a heavier emphasis on the ball in his hands.
That picture has changed. After Hunter’s injury before Week 9 last season, Jacksonville traded for Jakobi Meyers and gave him a contract extension.
Parker Washington then surged in the second half and finished the year as one of the hottest receivers in football. On the other side of the ball, Tyson Campbell was traded to Cleveland, and Greg Newsome - his replacement - departed in free agency in March.
The result is a roster that appears to be steering Hunter toward a much bigger role at cornerback, especially on a defense that could have used him in last year’s Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, when secondary mistakes proved costly.
So far in camp, Hunter has been working both offense and defense every day, but he’s been getting more team-drill snaps on defense. He’ll still play both ways in Week 1, but everything about the roster construction points to a larger defensive load this season.
And he’s backing that up with production. Hunter has already picked off two passes in training camp, flashing the kind of ball skills that can flip a game in a hurry.
“He has elite ball skills. The thing about Travis, obviously, you can see even in some of these practices, he can go up and tear the ball out of the air," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said on Wednesday.
"So that's advantageous for us, obviously defensively, and he's aggressive. He goes after the ball like a receiver, so that's what's exciting about him.
And you saw a little bit of that in practice the other day. I thought he made a heck of a play, honestly, coming out of nowhere and tearing the ball out of this guy.”
Head coach Liam Coen has been just as encouraged. From his spot on offense, he’s getting a front-row view of how much Hunter can matter on the other side of the ball too.
“The play they made the other day and Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] scrambled and threw it in the middle. The play was dead. He was sacked, but Travis just came out of nowhere and makes the play, like I can't coach it," Coen said earlier this week.
"And so, I think the length, the anticipation on defense, we got him today on the one, but when you have length and anticipation and have a good feel for routes, I think the play making, getting your hands on balls or just denying the ball with good coverage. That's a win in itself that I think goes a little bit unnoticed from corners. It's like, yeah, when they don't get a lot of work, it's probably because they're doing their job and doing it at a high level, so I've been pleased with him.”
The league came into camp viewing Hunter as a corner with elite upside. The more Jacksonville uses him there, the more he looks like he’s ready to live up to it.
In Other News...
Jaguars Fans Finally Get Some Relief At EverBank Stadium
After years of getting squeezed by stadium prices, Jaguars fans will have a little more breathing room when they head to EverBank Stadium next season. The team is rolling out a Fan First Favorites value menu for 2026, with several popular food and drink options, including select domestic beer, set at $4.99 at specific concession stands.
It is also a glimpse at where things are headed once the Stadium of the Future opens in 2028, since this menu is meant to preview the food-and-beverage model planned for that building. For now, fans still have some practical help on game days too, with outside food and sealed water bottles allowed under certain conditions, which should make the whole experience a little easier on the wallet. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Surprises Are Starting To Reshape Two Key Roles
Training camp has already pushed the Jaguars into some unexpected lineup territory, with a few of the most notable changes coming on the offensive line and in the secondary. Anton Harrison has been working mostly at left tackle instead of his usual side, a shift that is worth watching given how often Jacksonville has talked about building stability up front. Elsewhere, the camp picture has also started to settle at depth spots, with Matt Dickerson and B.J. Green standing out among the backup defensive linemen and Bhayshul Tuten and Parker Washington appearing to hold onto return duties.
The more intriguing wrinkle, though, is Travis Hunter, who has been on the field at both wide receiver and cornerback in every practice so far. For the Jaguars, that kind of usage is about more than novelty, because it hints at a season in which his workload could shape not just one room, but two. It also leaves Jacksonville with a fascinating camp question still hanging over the roster: how far the team is willing to go in letting those surprise roles become the new normal. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter's First Big Summer Test Gave Jaguars Fans A Reality Check
The first real test of Travis Hunters summer came in a setting that tends to sharpen every mistake and every encouraging sign. During a joint practice with the Saints, the Jaguars got an early look at how Hunter is handling the next stage of his development after recovering from a torn LCL and adding muscle in the offseason, with coaches watching closely as he gears up for his second NFL season.
The moment that drew the most attention was a single rep against high-level competition, the kind of play that can travel fast once it hits social media. Hunters physical progress was there to see, but so were the reminders that even a player with his talent is still working through the fine points against experienced NFL opponents, which is exactly why these summer sessions matter so much in Jacksonville. [Read more 🡒]