Travis Hunter will 'flip-flop' between offense and defense during Jaguars training camp

Yahoo

3 days ago

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a bold move in the 2025 NFL Draft, trading up to select two-way prospect Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall selection. In order to maximize Hunter's skill set, the team will allow the rookie to "flip-flop" between offense and defense during training camp.
Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen said Wednesday that the team has mapped out Hunter's schedule for training camp, which includes some days where he will play both wide receiver and cornerback in a single practice, per ESPN.
"You want to give him a couple days offense, a couple days defense, and then give him an opportunity to go flip-flop within the same practice and then that will kind of become the norm," Coen said after the Jaguars finished their first workout at the Miller Electric Center adjacent to EverBank Stadium. "... Every moment, every minute that he is in the building, it is accounted for and trying to make sure that we maximize his time, our time so that we can ultimately get the best outcome."
That's a change from how the team approached Hunter's workload during offseason workouts. Hunter primarily appeared on offense during team activities in the offseason, though that was a calculated decision. The Jaguars wanted Hunter to get more familiar with the complexities of the team's offense — including its audibles and line checks — which led to the rookie getting more time at wide receiver initially.
But the team wants to keep Hunter fresh on both sides of the ball moving forward, which is why he will spend time in both roles — sometimes in the same practice — during training camp. Cohen said the team learned during the offseason that allowing Hunter to focus on one role could take away from his ability to stay fresh at the other, which also played into the decision to move Hunter around during camp.
Hunter's deployment as a rookie will be fascinating. While some NFL players have played both ways — see Hunter's college coach Deion Sanders — few have entered the NFL intent on playing both offense and defense. And while Sanders was able to do it during his career, he really only had one season in which he played major roles at cornerback and wide receiver.
Hunter will be looking to play two positions immediately. He excelled in that role at Colorado, hauling in 15 touchdowns as a receiver and winning the Chuck Bednarik award for his prowess as a cornerback.
But taking on that workload in the NFL will be a new challenge. The Jaguars knew that would be the case when the team traded up for Hunter. Now, it's up to the franchise to figure out the best way to maximize his potential.