In 2026, how will the Jacksonville Jaguars utilize Travis Hunter?
The plan, as both GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen have mentioned, is still for Hunter to play both ways. However, his usage in Year 2 compared to Year 1 is set to be different.
Advertisement
The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe recently reported that the plan is for the bulk of Hunter’s snaps to come at cornerback and not wide receiver.
“He will play both sides again in 2026,” said Wolfe. “The big change may come in the usage. From what I understand, they plan to play him as a full-time cornerback, a part-time receiver, which is a switch from last year when he played more than double of his snaps at receiver than cornerback. They think Travis Hunter can be elite at cornerback and still be an impact player on offense.”
Hunter seeing more snaps at cornerback isn’t shocking news. For one, Gladstone alluded to this potentially being the case during his end-of-season press conference.
Advertisement
In addition to that, if you look at the state of the Jaguars‘ roster, cornerback is where the greater need lies. At corner, Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome are set to be free agents, while at receiver, the Jaguars still have Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers under contract.
Hunter brings elite ball skills and impressive instincts to the defensive side of the ball. Last season, he allowed nine completions on 15 targets at just 10.7 yards per catch. He also had two pass breakups and two penalties, according to PFF.
Coen recently provided an update on Hunter as he works his way back from a knee injury.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Travis Hunter update: How will Jaguars utilize two-way player in 2026?