Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter is aiming to become the NFL's first regular two-way star since the 1960s. Through the NFL draft process, there was a question of whether Hunter could continue playing on both offense and defense in the NFL. Hunter ended up landing with the Jaguars, a team that believes he can become a two-way player.
The new Jaguars' regime is confident in what Hunter can do on both sides of the ball. So far, the Jaguars have primarily used Hunter on offense during OTAs and minicamp, but he has also practiced on defense several times. To Jaguars Pro Bowl linebacker Josh Hines-Allen, Hunter can succeed at both positions thanks to his ability to make plays on each side of the ball.
"Is he a great playmaker on both sides of the ball? Yes he is," Hines-Allen said on The Rich Eisen Show. "At the end of the day, when you're a team like us right now who's in that stage of we need the best playmakers on the field at all times. If he can give you that value, let's do it. ... You stick him on that defensive side of the ball, he's going to make a play."
What has Travis Hunter shown in @Jaguars minicamp thus far that gives belief he can play both ways?@JoshHinesAllen broke down what he's seen from the dynamic rookie:#NFL #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/9pyNtf9yLO
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 30, 2025
From taking screen passes to the house and accumulating yards after the catch, to forcing fumbles and diving for interceptions on the defensive side of the ball, Hunter excelled at making a variety of plays during college on offense and defense. Over his three years of college football, Hunter picked off a total of nine passes and caught 24 touchdown passes.
Overall, Hines-Allen felt Hunter was the best player in this year's draft and a player that can help the Jaguars immediately. For Hines-Allen, the key for Hunter will be staying healthy. Hunter did deal with injuries during his first two collegiate seasons, and since he has a smaller frame, injuries are a main way he could be held back if he struggles to stay healthy.
"What plagues every NFL player or any professional athlete is injuries," Hines-Allen told Eisen. "I think if he can allow himself to stay healthy, and take care of that, get in the hyperbaric machine, I think he has a great career ahead of him on both sides of the ball."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaguars Star Explains Why Travis Hunter Can Succeed Playing Both Ways in NFL .
