Travis Hunter will play full-time CB and part-time VR in 2026

The Jacksonville Jaguars will place a two-pointed star Travis Hunter primarily as a corner in the 2026 season, reducing his role at wide receiver, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported Friday.

The Jaguars believe the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner can develop into an “elite” NFL cornerback while still being an “impact player” on offense, per Wolff. In the 2025 season, he played more than twice as many snaps on offense than on defense, but that balance will change entering year two. Jacksonville could also let one of its free agent cornerbacks, Montarick Brown or Greg Newsome, leave, a sign the team believes in Hunter’s move to the defensive end.

Hunter is expected to be fully cleared by Week 1 underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament suffered during practice ahead of Week 9 last season.

Selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after being traded by the Jaguars, Hunter’s rookie season was cut short after seven games. On offense, he caught 28 passes on 45 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown. His best outing came in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, when he caught eight passes for 101 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown from Trevor Lawrence. Defensively, he recorded 15 tackles and three pass breakups, allowing a 60 percent completion rate on 15 targets before landing on injured reserve.

The 22-year-old has a tough two-way resume. At Colorado in 2024, he played nearly 1,400 snaps, 382 more than any other player in the country, en route to becoming the only player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikov Awards.

Coach Liam Cohen made it clear that the team will remain flexible with Hunter’s role, noting that his usage will be determined after assessing the strength of the roster. Jacksonville’s receiving group includes Jacoby Meyers, who had 42 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games with the 2025 team, and Parker Washington, who finished with 58 catches for 847 yards and five scores. Brian Thomas Jr., who is a year removed from a 1,200-yard championship campaign, also makes an impact in the rotation. With that depth, Hunter will likely rotate into select offensive packages rather than taking on the role of full-time recipient.