The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travis Hunter investment was a big one. The team selected
the Heisman winner with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. An injury ended
his season early, and now the team has decided that the two-way player may be better
off as a one-way player. It’s a decision that is essentially robbing NFL fans of witnessing
history, not unlike baseball fans have witnessed with Shohei Ohtani over the past
several seasons.
Travis Hunter And Shohei Ohtani
Like Hunter, Ohtani was a two-way star before joining the professional ranks (at least
the American professional ranks). When he was made available to Major League
Baseball teams, many of them viewed Ohtani as just a pitcher, and not someone who
could be a full-time hitter and regular pitcher within a 5-man rotation. He chose to sign
with the Anaheim Angels, who were one of the only teams offering to allow Ohtani to do
both.
Hunter excelled on both sides of the ball in college. In his senior season, his Pro
Football Focus (PFF) grades on offense and defense were among the best in the
nation. It’s impossible not to agree with his college coach, Deion Sanders, who called it
a travesty that Hunter was not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive
back in college. He, not surprisingly, suggested there should be a Deion Sanders
Award, just for cornerbacks.
Hunter did win the Heisman as the best NCAA Football player, and the Jaguars were
quick to pounce. They may have viewed him as more of a receiver than a defensive
back, or maybe they just needed another target for their franchise quarterback. Either
way, Hunter played 324 snaps on offense to just 162 snaps on defense before an injury
cut short his season.
Jaguars Travis Hunter As A Pro
In seven games as a receiver, Hunter was targeted 45 times and hauled in 28
receptions (62.2% catch rate) for 298 yards (10.6 yards per catch). His catch
percentage bested the offensive rookie of the year, Tet McMillan (57.4%), and more
impressively, veterans Garrett Wilson (62%), DK Metcalf (59.6%), and Justin Jefferson
(59.6%).
Defensively, opposing quarterbacks only targeted him 18 times, completing 9 passes,
and recording a passer rating of 68.3. This performance, along with the likely departure
of starting cornerback Greg Newsome in free agency, led the Jaguars to announce that
while Hunter will be featured in some special packages on offense in 2026, he will be
used primarily on defense.
The decision is understandable from a football perspective. The team needs secondary
help, and Hunter is exceptional in the secondary. It makes sense from a business
perspective. He has a fully guaranteed contract and a major injury under his belt, so
best not to overuse him. The decision is just upsetting to fans, not just of the Jaguars,
but of football in general.
There hasn’t been a legitimate two-way player in the sport since the first days of the
league (when they wore leather helmets). For as exciting as it is for MLB fans to watch
Ohtani throw a 100mph pitch past a hitter, then hit a shot into the upper deck when he’s
hitting, Hunter could have been even more electric to watch. Hopefully, this “special
packages’ deal is temporary, and next year, he will be full-time on offense and defense.
