It didn’t take long for Travis Hunter to put his cleats in the Florida grass and start stirring the pot in Duval. The former Colorado two-way phenom has only been with the Jacksonville Jaguars for about a week, fresh off earning his degree on May 8. He’s already logged a pair of rookie minicamp practices and gotten reps in Phase II of offseason work. And yet, despite the limited reps footage and minimal install time, it took even less time for the peanut gallery to start chirping about his technique.

Clips have surfaced of Travis Hunter stumbling slightly in route breaks and catching the ball against his chest instead of plucking it clean with his hands. That’s all it took to send social media into a mini meltdown. And NFL Rookie Watch posted a few fan comments: “Generational they said… and yet he seems as average as any receiver that has come & gone…he don’t even look on the same lvl as BTJ.” Well, there’s more….

“He purposely being bad so they finally put him with the DBs.” A few missed steps in a rookie practice, and suddenly the sky is falling. The reactions, as quick-triggered as they are, expose how thin the line is between promise and pressure in today’s NFL. One shaky rep and folks forget this 22-year-old did things in college that few ever dared.

Back in the real world, inside the Jaguars’ facility, Hunter is already exceeding all expectations. Jacksonville’s Executive Vice President Tony Boselli, a former All-Pro lineman himself, had nothing but glowing things to say after watching Hunter work. “He’s exceeded my expectations,” Boselli said during a recent hit on NFL Network. “You see the athlete on the field, you see how he moves, the change of direction, the body control, but it’s the person that I’m most enamored with, just the natural leadership, the energy he brings, the excitement, the smile, and he’s a tireless worker.” That’s not PR fluff. That’s conviction from a guy who knows what elite looks like up close.

Hunter’s still planning to play both WR/CB in the NFL, a rarity at the pro level. And the Jaguars haven’t flinched at the idea. In fact, they’re building with him in mind. His raw receiving reps might need polish, sure, but nobody questions the movement. In the viral video, he was the only player on the field without gloves, opting to catch barehanded while learning new timing, new landmarks, and new quarterbacks.

Defensively, the numbers tell a more complete story. According to Pro Football Focus, Travis Hunter ranked second among corners selected in this year’s draft in coverage rating at 90.3. He allowed just 23 catches for 222 yards and one touchdown all last season. The only corner to top him? Texas standout Jahdae Barron. Overall, Hunter ranked seventh among all corners in coverage rating. That’s not average. That’s top-tier.

And it’s that same defensive upside, combined with his ambition, that has the Jags brass betting big. “This is a guy that wants to be the best,” Boselli added. “Just watch his demeanor and how he approaches even just the Phase 2 workouts on the field, how he approached rookie minicamp. This is a guy who’s hungry to be the best.” Hunter hasn’t come into Jacksonville trying to survive. He’s come to set a tone.

Two-way Travis Hunter? NFL legend weighs in on the NFL dream

Can Travis Hunter really pull off the impossible and go full Deion 2.0—playing both sides of the ball in the NFL? One man who knows exactly what it takes is 8-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. He was the one who stated firmly, well before the draft, that “No NFL team will allow Travis to play both ways, not full-time at least.” Now? He recently tackled that same question on Cam Newton’s “4th and 1” podcast. And while he didn’t shoot down the idea, Peterson did wave a few caution flags.

“How he’s going to be able to have all of his attention in both places… that’s going to be the trickiest part,” Peterson said, pointing out the mental toll of learning two NFL playbooks. In college, Hunter dazzled as both a lockdown corner and an explosive receiver. But Peterson reminded listeners: Sundays are a whole new animal.

“It’s not going to be like college where we’re going to run what we run because we’re good at it,” Peterson explained. “It’s going to be a game plan every single week.” Translation: Prepare to live in the film room.

Still, Peterson isn’t counting Travis out. “I don’t want to put a cap on Travis. I don’t want to say that he cannot do it… The only difference is going to be between the college level and the NFL level, he’s going to be in a classroom more.” If anyone can rewrite the rules, it’s Hunter.