You’ve probably seen the highlights. A guy catches a 40-yard touchdown, jogs to the sideline for a quick squirt of Gatorade, and then immediately lines up at boundary corner to jam a Pro Bowl receiver. It feels like something out of a 1940s newsreel or a high school game in rural Texas. But this is the NFL in 2026, and the man doing it is Travis Hunter.
Honestly, the question of what positions does Travis Hunter play is getting harder to answer the longer he’s in the league. If you look at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster, he might be listed as a wide receiver or a cornerback depending on the day, but the reality is much messier. He is a "football player" in the purest, most exhausting sense of the word.
The Breakdown: Offense vs. Defense
During his rookie year in 2025, the Jaguars tried to find a balance that wouldn't literally break him. It wasn't always a 50/50 split. In fact, Hunter played a combined 486 snaps before a freak knee injury in November cut his debut season short.
Here is how those snaps actually looked:
- Offense (Wide Receiver): 324 snaps (roughly 67% of offensive plays).
- Defense (Cornerback): 162 snaps (about 36% of defensive plays).
Basically, the Jags viewed him as a starting wideout who moonlighted as a situational corner. He finished that rookie campaign with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown. On the flip side, he tallied 15 tackles and three pass defenses. Quarterbacks who were brave enough—or dumb enough—to throw his way ended up with a measly 68.3 passer rating.
Why the "Two-Way" Label is Changing in 2026
We just got word from Jaguars GM James Gladstone that the plan for 2026 is shifting. While Hunter is staying a two-way player, the "emphasis" is moving to the defensive side of the ball.
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Why the change? Well, the Jaguars’ front office has been busy. They traded for Jakobi Meyers and handed him a $60 million extension, which crowds the receiver room. Meanwhile, with starters like Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome II hitting free agency, there is a massive, Hunter-sized hole at cornerback.
You’re going to see him as a lockdown corner first and an offensive "gadget" or situational deep threat second. It’s a smart move. Playing 100+ snaps a game in the NFL is a recipe for a short career. Even the great Deion Sanders eventually picked a primary side.
The Heisman Pedigree and College Workload
To understand how we got here, you have to look back at his time at Colorado. In 2024, Hunter did something that shouldn't be physically possible in modern Power Four football. He played 1,360 snaps.
- 688 on defense.
- 672 on offense.
He won the Heisman Trophy because he wasn't just "playing" both ways; he was elite at both. He was a consensus All-American at cornerback and a finalist for major receiving awards. It’s that versatility that made him the 2nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Teams weren't just drafting a player; they were drafting a strategic advantage.
Does it actually work in the NFL?
There’s a lot of debate about this. Some critics, like those you'll find on NFL Reddit or in the deeper corners of sports Twitter, argue that Hunter’s knee injury in late 2025 was an inevitable result of the workload.
But if you look at the numbers, he was only playing about 10% more total snaps than the average NFL starter before he got hurt. The injury—a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tear—happened during a non-contact drill in practice. It wasn't a "wear and tear" collapse on a Monday night in the fourth quarter.
The real challenge isn't the physical fatigue; it's the mental load. Hunter has to sit through twice as many meetings. He has to learn two different playbooks that are constantly evolving. Most rookies struggle to learn where to line up on one side of the ball. Hunter has to know the route tree for a "Z" receiver and the leverage rules for a "Cloud" corner simultaneously.
What to expect from Travis Hunter this season
As the 2026 season approaches, expect a "Cornerback-Plus" role.
- Primary Boundary Corner: He’ll likely shadow the opponent’s WR1 for the majority of the game.
- Red Zone Threat: When the Jags get inside the 20, don't be surprised if Hunter trots out to use his 6'1" frame and elite leaping ability to snag fades in the end zone.
- Third-Down Specialist: He might sub in on offense for specific 3rd-and-long situations where his speed can clear out a safety.
The Jaguars are trying to preserve his longevity while still using the "superpowers" that Gladstone raves about. He’s a playmaker who can change a game with a single interception or a 50-yard bomb.
If you're watching a Jaguars game this year, keep your eyes on #12. He won't be on the field for every single play like he was in Boulder, but when he is, he's likely the most talented athlete on either side of the line of scrimmage.
Keep an eye on the injury reports during training camp in July. If Hunter’s knee is truly at 100%, the Jaguars' defense is about to get a lot more dangerous, and their offense is going to have the most expensive "decoy" in the history of the league.
Check the official NFL snap counts after Week 1 to see if the Jags actually stick to the "defense-first" promise or if they can't resist putting the ball in his hands more often than planned.