\u201cHe\u2019ll be able to get integrated next week on the defensive side of the ball,\u201d Coen said. \u201cHe\u2019ll start to roll on defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s already rolling on offense. Hunter caught nearly every ball thrown his way over two days alongside fellow rookies. And the few routes or results that didn\u2019t go his way? Well, Hunter went right back to the front of the line for a re-do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe organization expects a lot out of me,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cThey expect me to come out here and play right away. I\u2019m going to do whatever it takes for me to play right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jaguars traded up three spots, giving up a second-round pick, a first-rounder next year and more to make it happen, to select Hunter with the second overall pick in the NFL draft last month. He gives the franchise more star power than its had in decades \u2013 maybe ever.<\/p>\n
Fans packed a small pro shop outside the practice field and waited in deep lines to buy his No. 12 jersey. The Heisman Trophy winner has his own YouTube channel, lights up rooms with his smile and elevates the play of everyone around him. He did it in high school in Georgia and did it again in college at Jackson State and at Colorado.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars anticipate the trend continuing despite Hunter\u2019s 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. He caught Coen\u2019s eye during practice Friday when Hunter\u2019s cleat slipped off during a route, and he didn\u2019t slow down or get sidetracked one bit.<\/p>\n
\u201cMade a great catch,\u201d Coen said. \u201cIt\u2019s more just his presence and the energy he does provide both in the classroom, in the meeting rooms and also out here on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter became the first person in his immediate family to walk in a graduation ceremony when he took the stage at Colorado on Thursday while wearing Jaguars pajama pants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the first thing I ordered off of Amazon when I got drafted,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n
He donned his Jaguars jersey for the first time the following day. This one was teal. At some point soon, he\u2019s expected to be swapping between teal and white during the same practice. Or, as Hunter suggested, maybe get his own color. No one would be surprised considering he\u2019s that unique.<\/p>\n
Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Colorado and notched 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions while allowing just one touchdown.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars intend to use him in a similar role this fall, planning to have him working as a slot receiver on offense and as a cornerback in certain packages on defense. It\u2019s familiar territory for someone who played more snaps (1,461) than anyone else in college football in 2024.<\/p>\n
Hunter already has taken a leadership role among the rookies and hopes to do the same with the rest of his teammates. It could help that he has two former Colorado guys around him, defensive lineman B.J. Green II and safety Cam\u2019Ron Silmon-Craig.<\/p>\n
Silmon-Craig and Hunter first played together at Jackson State in 2022 and have been teammates since.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like a family here,\u201d Silmon-Craig said. \u201cIt\u2019s a new everything around here. We\u2019re just trying to change the culture here and build a culture. Why not get a couple Colorado guys?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shilo Sanders makes big first impression<\/p>\n
Shilo Sanders walked into his first news conference with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and immediately shook hands with each reporter.<\/p>\n
Coach Prime\u2019s son knows how to make a first impression on and off the field.<\/p>\n
Like his dad, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, Shilo displayed his engaging personality and commanded the interview room. He asked for beach recommendations and revealed that he plans to be the \u201csnack guy\u201d for the team\u2019s safety group.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, look at where we\u2019re at,\u201d Sanders said with a big smile. \u201cLook at the whole coaching staff. It\u2019s a really supportive coaching staff. Everybody wants to see everybody do good. Everybody on the team, we all want to see each other win. It\u2019s a great environment to thrive in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanders, who signed with the Buccaneers after being passed up in the draft, impressed coach Todd Bowles on the first day of rookie camp with his intelligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike the rest of the safeties, he\u2019s very intelligent, he\u2019s very loud,\u201d Bowles said. \u201cYou can hear him (on the field), making calls and everything, so he has a good grasp of things Day 1. There was about three or four of them that did. He was one of them, but you have to make plays in pads. That\u2019s what it comes down to \u2013 knowing what to do and then doing it consistently and constantly getting better every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old Sanders even helped younger teammates with some of the defensive calls.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s very smart,\u201d rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish said. \u201cHe helped me a lot with the adjustments. I\u2019m excited to work with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
While younger brother, Shedeur Sanders, drew most of the attention during the draft after slipping to Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, Shilo didn\u2019t get a call until hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey gave me a chance before anyone so I\u2019m forever grateful to the Buccaneers and I\u2019m just gonna do everything in my power to help this team win,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThat\u2019s all I want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward No. 1 in Tennessee?<\/p>\n
The Tennessee Titans have made clear they aren\u2019t ready to name a starter at quarterback despite taking Cam Ward out of Miami with the No. 1 overall draft pick. Ward has given them a glimpse at rookie minicamp at how quickly he might challenge for the job.<\/p>\n
The Titans handed Ward the playbook as soon as he was drafted, then held several Zoom calls with him before his arrival for rookie minicamp, which had its lone open session for reporters Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe got a little bit of a head start, and that\u2019ll be beneficial for him,” coach Brian Callahan said of Ward. “But at the end of the day, it\u2019s all about what you do when you get out here and how quickly you can pick it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Titans drafted Ward to be the franchise quarterback after a third straight losing season landed them the No. 1 overall pick. The franchise has made clear the rookie will have to win the job competing in training camp and the preseason.<\/p>\n
His competition features Will Levis, the 33rd overall pick in 2023 who is going into his third season and third in Callahan’s offense. The Titans also have veteran backup quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle on the roster.<\/p>\n
For Ward, competing and proving himself has always been a part of his game, working himself from getting no stars as a recruit out of high school to a starter in college first at Incarnate Word, then Washington State and finally Miami.<\/p>\n
The rookie made clear he sees the NFL as being another opportunity to prove himself. Ward said he embraces competition with himself, other quarterbacks and wide receivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything we do, we compete,” Ward said. \u201cIt really don\u2019t bother me. At the end of the day, it\u2019s a job. That\u2019s how you\u2019ve got to approach it. You\u2019ve got to get your work in early in the morning, late at night. It\u2019s every day for me. I do the same stuff and try to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
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