Travis Hunters Jaguars Role Just Got A Lot More Serious

Travis Hunter shines with remarkable versatility and stamina in a rigorous training camp session, stacking up his heaviest snap count yet.

Travis Hunter hardly had a chance to breathe during the Jaguars’ 14th practice of training camp.

The two-way standout logged 37 plays on Aug. 17 at the Miller Electric Center, his heaviest workload of camp outside the joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13. Most of that action came on defense, where Hunter was active in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods.

His day included a couple of eye-catching moments. On offense in 7-on-7, Hunter reacted fast to a ball Trevor Lawrence threw behind him and nearly came away with a difficult catch while Devon Marshall stayed tight in coverage.

Later, in an 11-on-11 two-minute drill, Hunter swatted away a Lawrence pass meant for C.J. Williams and then shouted, "Boom!"

He added another breakup on a throw intended for tight end Nate Boerkircher, and he was locked onto Brian Thomas Jr. on a deep route that Lawrence overthrew. On offense, Hunter finished with one catch on a short route over the middle.

The snap count tells the story of just how much the Jaguars leaned on him. Hunter played 21 snaps in 11-on-11 periods, all on defense. He also had one special-teams snap during a two-minute drill, staying on the field for a 38-yard Cam Little field goal.

In 7-on-7, Hunter took five offensive snaps and 11 defensive snaps. That gave him 37 total plays for the day - 32 on defense and five on offense - easily his busiest practice of camp.

Before that, his highest total had been 21 snaps in the mock game on Aug. 7.

Through camp, Hunter has piled up 60 offensive snaps and 119 defensive snaps in 11-on-11 work, along with 10 offensive snaps and 18 defensive snaps in 7-on-7 periods. That adds up to 70 snaps on offense and 137 on defense overall.

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Jaguars Camp Buzz Is Suddenly Centered On One Rookie And A Problem

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The more intriguing storyline may be how Travis Hunter is being deployed as camp grinds on, because the Jaguars are continuing to lean on him heavily on the defensive side. That has only added to the sense that Jacksonville is still sorting out how to maximize his skill set, especially in a camp where one rookie has already drawn notice up front and another is flashing on defense while the depth chart keeps shifting around him. [Read more 🡒]

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For Hughes, the move means his rookie season is over, though it also gives the Jaguars the chance to keep him around as a redshirt year while they sort through the rest of the group. The timing matters for Jacksonville because the transaction also clears a roster spot for veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai, giving the team a little more flexibility as it tries to stabilize the position. [Read more 🡒]