The Jacksonville Jaguars are considering how to use rookie Travis Hunter, who enters the National Football League as a rare two-way player. Hunter, the second overall draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner, arrives after making history in college by winning both the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the NCAA’s top wide receiver and the Chuck Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player.
Hunter played 1,360 snaps in his last college season. That workload surpasses what is typical for even highly-conditioned athletes. Head coach Liam Coen spoke about Hunter’s preparation and physical condition at training camp. Coen said, “He’s one of the most crazy in-shape players I’ve ever seen (…) His stamina is crazy. He can just go … forever. I think he’s itching to do it more, and we’re trying to make sure we do the teaching progression (correctly), so he can go play fast. Ultimately, how do we deploy him on both sides of the ball? We’ve still got to kind of figure that out. What’s he truly best at?”
Historically, few have managed to play regularly on both offense and defense in professional football since Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik retired in 1962. Deion Sanders made eight starts at wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996, but those instances were exceptions rather than norms.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also commented on Hunter’s fitness: “He can handle it (…) That’s what’s unique and special about him. He’s the best-conditioned guy I think I’ve ever seen. He can run all day up and down the field. I haven’t seen him tired one time.” Lawrence added, “He’s fresh when he goes into the locker room after practice (…) Everybody else is gassed, and he’s like, ‘I feel great.’ It’s unique. I don’t know what he does, or if he’s just born that way. I know he works really hard, but it’s impressive to see him (in action).”
In preseason action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 9, Hunter started at wide receiver for the first-team offense while also taking snaps with the second-team defense. He recorded two catches on offense.
However, concerns remain regarding whether any player can maintain peak performance playing extensively on both sides of the ball without risking injury or fatigue. Before playing a regular season game, Hunter missed a preseason contest against New Orleans due to an upper-body injury.
Coach Coen addressed this situation: “I’ve got to see what he looks like tomorrow (…) I think the goal is to try to get him out there for the joint [practices].”
The discussion around Hunter draws comparisons across other sports where two-way players are valued for their versatility—such as Shohei Ohtani in Major League Baseball—but within football these roles have typically been limited or reserved for situational plays.
With his combination of skills as a wide receiver and cornerback—and after recording significant statistics during his final year at Colorado—the Jaguars believe Hunter could challenge historical trends if his health allows him consistent playtime throughout his professional career.
If expectations are met regarding his dual-role potential and durability in future seasons, observers suggest there is potential for further individual honors—even including consideration for awards traditionally dominated by single-position players such as Most Valuable Player.
