Travis Hunter is still carrying some of the criticism that followed him into the NFL, even as the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to give him a chance to play on both sides of the ball. The second-year star recently opened up on the Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast hosted by Robert Griffin III about how comments from former NFL players, including former quarterback Cam Newton, have affected him and other young players.

“We still kids at the end of the day. I mean, nothing but 21, 22. So it still hurt us,” Hunter said on the podcast.

“When people say stuff about us like that, it get to us a little bit. We be wanting to respond back, but we know we can’t because we got eyes on us 24/7. We try to have a conversation and when we have the conversation, we stick up for ourselves.”

The comment comes after months of public doubt from analysts and former players about whether Travis Hunter can sustainably play both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL. Hall of Famer Cris Carter was one of the strongest voices against Jacksonville’s plan, arguing that the Jaguars had already taken the wrong approach with Hunter.

Newton took a different angle. On his 4th & 1 podcast, the former Carolina Panthers quarterback focused on the physical toll of asking Hunter to play both receiver and cornerback at the NFL level.

“How long could he do it? That’s a lot of plays.” Newton said at the time.

Newton and Hunter actually know each other from way back when the latter used to train at the former quarterback’s C1N 7 on 7 camp. Hunter admitted on the podcast that Newton is like an uncle, and critics are only trying to help. But he has reached out to voice what he felt.

The debate dates back to Hunter’s college career, when he established himself as one of the most unusual stars in football. He played extensively at receiver and cornerback and went on to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

The Jaguars got their first taste of that skill during Hunter’s rookie campaign. Hunter played 324 of his 489 snaps on offense through seven games, while also recording 162 defensive snaps, 15 tackles and three passes defensed before a knee injury ended his season.

General manager James Gladstone said in May that Hunter is “set to play both sides of the ball,” while explaining that the team expected his cornerback workload to increase in 2026. Head coach Liam Coen has likewise maintained that Hunter will continue working on both sides.

Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, who played both receiver and cornerback at Georgia, has also warned about the workload and preparation required to handle both positions in the NFL.

“No, no value. Focus on one thing,” Bailey said. “It is extremely hard to play both ways. Now you could be a special-play kind of guy, come in, run a few. Okay, that’s fine, but do not try to do both at a high level.”

Coen has stuck with the plan through training camp, giving Travis Hunter work on both sides of the ball. He has been moving between receiver and cornerback during practices, rather than having Hunter spend the entire session with just one group. That gives Jacksonville a chance to keep building his workload at both positions before the season begins. His offensive responsibilities are expected to put him alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers, while his defensive work will keep him involved in the cornerback rotation.

Interestingly, the Jaguars are now amping up Hunter’s defensive reps. According to Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley, the team has deployed the Year 2 wide receiver mostly on defense in team drills over the last two weeks. He has reportedly taken fewer than 10 snaps at wide receiver in that span.

Whether he can maintain that workload once the regular season begins will be one of the more interesting parts of Jacksonville’s season. The Jaguars have nevertheless continued down the same path, allowing Travis Hunter to show that his rare college role can translate to the NFL.