How Liam Coen Views Travis Hunter’s Role With Jaguars
When a player is deemed a “unicorn,” he’s expected to be more than a one-trick pony.
When the Jaguars (1-1) traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter with the No. 2 selection, he sported both the cornerback and wide receiver title. Now, it seems as though one outweighs the other and Jacksonville is paying the price.
Hunter won eight major college football awards in his junior campaign with the Colorado Buffaloes, including the 2024 Heisman Trophy for his top-notch two-way ability and high stature on the field.
However, the accolades have not transferred to Jacksonville from Boulder. Hunter missed 10 games in his rookie season due to a knee injury he suffered in November. After spending the bulk of 2025 and the offseason rehabbing, his positional status remained in question. Jacksonville coach Liam Coen said Wednesday that Hunter’s missed time has played a factor.
“It definitely has some form of an effect,” Coen said. “You can do a million things in the walkthrough room and the meeting room settings, but he just missed a lot of pitching and catching. Just missed a lot of chemistry with the quarterback.”
Hunter recorded just 28 receptions for 298 yards in his seven games of action last year, and ended his rookie season on a high note before the injury. He added eight catches on 14 targets for 101 yards and found the end zone once. On the defensive side, he had 11 tackles and three passes defended across the first seven weeks.
When healthy, the Georgia native spent much of last season on the offensive end, taking 67% of the team’s snaps. He played on defense just 36% of the time.
This season is a different story. Hunter’s snaps have been nearly all in the secondary, recording just 9% of plays with the offense. In the slim sample size, he has been targeted once and logged a touch on a jet sweep — both coming in Week 1.
Hunter’s name was called only on defense in the Jaguars’ 20-13 Week 2 loss, but for the wrong reason. He was hit with a 22-yard pass interference penalty, setting up the Broncos at the Jacksonville 3-yard line with 7:21 left. Denver scored on the next play and Jacksonville failed to come back in the game’s waning minutes.
Hunter nearly came up with an interception in the game’s third play when he undercut a pass intended for wideout Pat Bryant. While the defensive pressure has been working, Hunter has not stood as tall in the secondary as his Colorado days. He carries an overall grade of 54.6 among all cornerbacks in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
“It’s a balancing act that you’re continuously working through,” Coen said. “He almost made the interception early on on the first drive of the game, had a couple things throughout that I think we can play better. It is a balancing act, though. You’re trying to get into a flow.”
Hunter and the Jags face the New England Patriots (1-1) at EverBank Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday. (Coverage starts at noon on 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF and at 1 p.m. on CBS) The Jaguars boast the league’s 11th-most difficult schedule and won’t return home until Nov. 1 following the AFC showdown.
“Any time you struggle offensively, you look at the totality of it all and Travis is a big part of that,” Coen said. “Obviously we’re looking at continuing to find the different ways to get him involved.”
Category: Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
