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With a plan in place for Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter, there’s no doubt that it’s different than most players in the NFL since he plans to play on offense and defense. While the plan could be seen as unusual for the Jaguars’ star, head coach Liam Coen would speak on Hunter’s attitude to everything so far in training camp.
Speaking with the media Friday, Coen would talk about how the team has approached Hunter’s two-way ability, as ESPN reported that Hunter spent the first two practices of training camp on offense and the third on defense. This is not overwhelming Hunter initially, though there would be instances later where he would work both in the same session.
Still, Coen would say Hunter has been “great” with his current situation, according to ESPN.
“It’s probably harder — I mentioned this before — logistically for us as coaches to navigate it and make sure that we’re making use of all his time,” Coen said. “I think it doesn’t bother him as much. He’s pretty unfazed by some of this stuff…He’s been great in terms of his attitude and just kind of the way he approaches it.”
Hunter would go to both offensive and defensive meetings and speak about how it’s the mental aspect that is getting challenged. Still, it was the first taste of his defensive presence on Friday, where in 23 snaps in 11-on-11 drills, he wasn’t targeted all that much.
“I enjoyed it, but I just needed to be on the field a lot more so I can continue to learn the defense and continue to do what I need to do,” Hunter said.
“You’ve got two playbooks and you’ve got to do different terms each and every day,” Hunter continued.
Some in the football world, like Travis Kelce, said that teams could wear down the Jaguars’ two-way player due to playing both sides of the ball, but it will be a continuous process for Hunter to find his groove ahead of the upcoming season. Hunter would speak on Friday on the importance of being able to “process everything” at an effective speed.
“I need to be able to process everything fast, quick,” Hunter said. “When I’m on the defensive side, if the offense changes their strength, I’ve got to know what I’m doing right away. And if the offense changes the play, I got to know what I’m doing right away.”
“So I like that we’re starting off slow, getting me adjusted, making sure I know where I need to be on one side of the ball each day, and then it [will] all come together,” Hunter continued. “We will [have days when he flip-flops]. I just have to get to that point to where I understand both sides immediately.”
It remains to be seen how Jacksonville will use Hunter in an actual game, as Week 1 is on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Carolina Panthers.
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