Travis Hunter’s return to the field for the 2026 season is music to Jacksonville Jaguars fans’ ears.
During the 2025 NFL draft, the Jaguars made one of the boldest moves of the night, trading up with the Cleveland Browns to secure the second overall pick, which saw the club part with the fifth overall pick as well as second- and fourth-round selections in addition to their first-round pick in the 2026 draft - all to select then-reigning Heisman Trophy winner and two-way star Travis Hunter.
During his collegiate career at both Jackson State and Colorado Hunter doubled as a shutdown corner as well as the school’s star wide receiver — something that many projected would end when he made the leap to the NFL.
However, Hunter’s rookie season began how his collegiate career went, playing frequently on both offense and defense for the Jaguars, until his debut campaign came to a screeching halt. After appearing in seven games for the Jaguars this past season, Hunter tore the LCL ligament in his right knee, which required season-ending surgery.
While Hunter is well on track to be ready for the start of his sophomore campaign, the Jaguars plan to take a different approach to his future, which appears to be focusing on the defensive side of the ball, something NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe explained.
Wolfe’s report comes a couple of weeks after Jaguars general manager James Gladstone alluded to Hunter’s likeliness to ramp up his snaps at cornerback during his end-of-season media availability, tabbing the club’s lack of depth in the secondary due to multiple expiring deals heading into next month’s start of free agency.
“Obviously you can take a peak at expiring contracts on our roster and see which side of the ball has more,” Gladstone said. “At this point walking into the offseason, corner is a position that we have a few guys who are on expiring contracts. By default, you can expect there to be a higher emphasis on his placement [at corner].”
Hunter logged 324 snaps at wide receiver, while notching just 162 snaps at cornerback during his rookie campaign, something that will seemingly flip in 2026.
Despite their star rookie missing most of the season, the Jaguars put together an impressive 13-4 record, which earned first-year head coach Liam Coen’s club an AFC South divisional title before falling to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC’s Wild Card playoffs.
Regardless of where Hunter lines up in 2026, his return to the field will be a welcomed one for an already stout Jaguars secondary as well as a wide receiver room that includes Pro Bowl wideout Brian Thomas Jr.
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