Travis Hunter is about to open his second NFL season in a very different lane for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, Hunter will be used as a full-time cornerback and a part-time receiver, a reversal of the split Jacksonville leaned on during his shortened rookie year. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the change early Sunday, saying the Jaguars are putting defense first while still carving out some offensive work for their two-way standout.
“It’s going to be a little different than last year, actually the opposite of what it was last year,” Rapoport said. “Travis Hunter, my understanding, is going to be a full-time cornerback, not the full-time receiver that he was last year.
He is still going to play some receiver. He’s got some packages.
It’s not red zone. I wondered if it might be.
It’s not. It’s more of a specialty situation, basically whenever they need him.”
For now, that arrangement is specific to the opener. Hunter’s offensive role is expected to come in selected packages rather than as a near-the-goal-line option.
The Jaguars’ Week 1 depth chart shows the shift clearly. Hunter is listed as a starting cornerback for a defense that helped Jacksonville finish 13-4 and win the AFC South last season. On offense, he shows up second behind Brian Thomas Jr. at one receiver spot, with Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers listed as the other starters.
That new alignment comes after a rookie season in which Hunter was heavily involved on both sides of the ball before it ended early. He played 67% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps and 36% of its defensive snaps, finishing with 28 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown. On defense, he added 15 tackles and three pass breakups in seven games.
Jacksonville is also managing the bigger picture around his recovery. Sunday’s game will be Hunter’s first since October 2025 after he tore the LCL in his right knee during an Oct. 30 practice and had season-ending surgery on Nov.
- The Jaguars said the injury did not cause any additional damage, and Hunter was a full participant throughout training camp.
Coach Liam Coen said Friday that Hunter’s offensive workload will stay flexible. Coen has not set a snap count and said Jacksonville does not need to force Hunter into the offense every week.
Rapoport pointed to that same uncertainty when describing the opener.
“That is the plan for this week: full-time corner and then part-time receiver,” Rapoport said. “It could actually flip next week or in the following weeks because he is that talented.”
He also noted that Hunter’s health and readiness remain part of the equation, saying Jacksonville has to see “how active he is today and how much like himself he looks.”
Hunter told team reporters Thursday that he felt rusty early in camp before settling in. Now the Jaguars get the first real answer on how their rare two-way weapon looks nearly 11 months after his last game, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET against Cleveland.
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