Travis Hunter is healthy. The Jaguars confirmed this week that the former Heisman Trophy winner is ahead of schedule on his knee recovery and will play both sides of the ball in 2026. He is also going to see significantly more snaps at cornerback than he did as a rookie.
That is the most interesting part of this whole story. Hunter played heavy receiver minutes last year before the knee injury that ended his rookie season early. The Jaguars used him as a slot receiver and only sparingly at corner. The plan for 2026 flips that script. Hunter is going to be a cornerback first and a receiver second.
The reasoning makes sense. The Jaguars defense was a disaster last year. They finished 28th in points allowed and could not stop the pass to save their lives. Hunter at corner gives the Jaguars a top-five talent at a position they desperately need to fix. He is going to play the position he was always going to play in the NFL eventually.
Hunter is going to be one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks in football. He is 6-foot-1, runs a 4.4, has elite ball skills, and was the best cover man in college football for three years. The Jaguars have spent the offseason scheming around him on defense, and the early signs from OTAs are that he is going to be a Day 1 starter.
The receiver work is not going away. Hunter is going to line up at receiver for at least 20-25 snaps per game. He was the most efficient receiver on the Jaguars roster last year before his injury, and the offense needs him on the field. He is going to be in three-receiver sets and on third downs.
The two-way usage is going to be a fascinating experiment. No NFL player has played that much on both sides of the ball in the modern era. Charles Woodson played a handful of offensive snaps in his career. Champ Bailey did the same. Hunter is going to be doing it at full volume.
The injury concern is real. Hunter played 24 of 25 college games as a true two-way player at Colorado and held up fine. He played the equivalent of two college seasons every year. But NFL bodies are different. The hits are bigger. The recovery time is shorter. The Jaguars are going to have to manage his workload carefully.
The bigger story is what this means for the Jaguars defense. Hunter at corner alongside Jourdan Lewis and Tyson Campbell gives the Jaguars one of the better cornerback rooms in football. Trevor Lawrence finally has some help. The defense is going to be a top-10 unit if everyone stays healthy.
ESPN’s Matt Miller said this week that he expects Hunter to be “a five interceptions, 50-reception player” in 2026. That is a Defensive Player of the Year-level stat line. Matt Okada took it further and said Hunter could become a legitimate DPOY candidate once he commits more fully to corner. The expectations are sky high.
What this means for the Jaguars is they have to actually win games this year. The team is 11-22 over the past two years. James Gladstone is the new GM. Liam Coen is the new head coach. The window for the current core is now. Hunter is the guy who makes the whole thing work.
The good news is the Jaguars have built around Hunter intelligently. The receiver room behind him is set with Brian Thomas Jr. taking the No. 1 role. The pass rush has been upgraded with the addition of Travon Walker’s contract extension. The offensive line is improved. The Jaguars are positioned to make a serious push at a playoff spot.
Hunter is going to be the story all year. Whether he is intercepting passes or catching touchdowns, every Jaguars game is going to be his game. The Year 2 expectations are massive, and so far, everything points to him meeting them.
The Defensive Player of the Year award is open. Travis Hunter is the early favorite.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
