Travis Hunter plays corner at minicamp. Jaguars’ Coen talks work ethic
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen met with media Tuesday, June 10, noting Travis Hunter’s endurance and work ethic.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence knows quite well what Travis Hunter is going through.
Coming out of high school, Lawrence was ranked as the consensus top prospect out of the state of Georgia and nationally. Coming out of college, he was projected, and eventually selected, as the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft. The expectations of being a generational talent were — and and some cases still are — excessive.
The media blitz and demand of being “on” at all times is also staggering.
The same can be said for Hunter, but perhaps with even more pressure due to a variety of factors, including the changing landscape of college football with Name, Image and Likeness becoming prominant, giving athletes their brands earlier than someone like Lawrence would have been able to take advantage of duriung their time in college.
Hunter was ranked as the top overall recruit out of the state of Georgia and nationally. After winning the Heisman Trophy and earning national and international fame via live streaming and YouTube videos (in addition to his play on the gridiron), the expectations for Hunter skyrocketed.
Playing both wide receiver and cornerback at a high level in college set him apart from every other prospect in past, present and future drafts.
It is generally agreed that Hunter was going to be the first non-quarterback prospect selected in the 2025 NFL Draft — he went second overall.
Since then, numerous publications, including the Florida Times-Union, have watched Hunter’s progress like hawks, penning at least one, and oftentimes multiple, stories about the former Deion Sanders protégé. The noise won’t stop, and likely will get louder as the season draws near.
Trevor Lawrence understands what Travis Hunter is going through
On the final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp, Lawrence shared his insight into Hunter and offered some perspective and advice as the rare talent gets through his first NFL offseason.
“He’s grown a lot. There’s a lot, obviously, being thrown on him. Being a high pick, playing both ways. I can understand being drafted high and the expectations, but I didn’t play both ways. That’s another world. I think he’s done a great job,” Lawrence said.
“Obviously, this is going to be a big opportunity for him during this break. You want to get your mind right and be ready to go and be rejuvenated for camp, but you also have to really be prepared and be ready.”
For NFL rookies, their first real break begins now. Immediately after their collegiate seasons they may get a few days off before getting ready for the jump to the next level with NFL Combine and Pro Day training, interviews with NFL teams and media and then are instantly thrust into the NFL world with a minicamp a couple of weeks after finding out where they’ll play for the foreseeable future.
Lawrence’s advice about Hunter taking this time of the year to recalibrate is real. That’ll be especially tough for Hunter, who is one of the most public-facing people in the United States and one of the top YouTubers, giving him little breathing room to completely disconnect.
But, Hunter is one of the most dedicated rookies Jacksonville has seen, especially given how well he’s succeeded at learning and playing both sides of the football while adjusting with the Jaguars.
Now, after a blitz of info given to him, Hunter can take a step back, Lawrence said.
“He’s got some time to kind of get in his playbook and learn the system because rookies have a tough job coming in when we’re already halfway through the installs. They come in and half the playbook is in, and they’re just jumping in on a random, so they don’t get to start off like all of us do kind of with the softballs and work their way in,” Lawrence explained.
Lawrence said he and Hunter plan to get together “quite a bit” throwing and getting timing down, but also talking about the system. Even with everything tossed on his plate, Lawrence isn’t worried about Hunter and what he can bring to the table.
“I have no concerns about him. I’m really excited just to see him continue to get better. He is a special player on both sides of the ball,” he said.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
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