In 2021, Trevor Lawrence joined the NFL with the burden of a franchise and the expectations of a decade. Now in Year 5, he’s no longer the golden child. He’s the one attempting to regain the trust of a season that went awry. And into that problematic rhythm steps Travis Hunter, a rookie whose two-way drive is reminiscent of the kind of swagger Lawrence had when he left Clemson. Not loudly, not sensationally. But in the little things, film work, route specificity, and defensive adjustments. It was no shock to find Hunter hanging with QB1. What stood out was how much Lawrence embraced it.

“He has a lot of energy… always dapping guys up… high motor… he can run all day,” Trevor Lawrence said earlier in the summer. Talking about the type of effort that transcends any camp stat line. But just as Lawrence was poised to pass along that veteran experience, another newcomer was quietly responding to the challenge. The veteran ex-Commanders receiver, Dyami Brown, didn’t come to Jacksonville to compete for playing time. He came to develop chemistry. And by Brown’s account, it began well before training camp ever began.

“It began in OTAs,” he said to Hays Carlyon. “I think it was just building the trust… the communication to ask him [Lawrence] what he wants, what he sees, and what I see—just being on the same page.” Amid a crowd of young pass-catchers continuing to define their roles. Dyami Brown is becoming the unassuming bridge between the quarterback and a smoother, more assertive offense.

The relationship isn’t all talk. It’s intimate. “He’s wonderful and we communicate a lot,” Brown said. “Even outside of football. Things like that help you build a bond. Because if I understand him outside of football, we understand each other inside of football.” The pair has reportedly put in extra time studying film, fine-tuning route angles, and establishing timing on deep throws. A skill Brown excelled at UNC. And the in-game return has been evident. Brown has lined up regularly with the first-team offense and is proving himself a reliable target on intermediate and vertical notions, particularly in Coen’s motion-based system.

Lawrence has indicated that he’s prioritized accuracy this season. Steering clear of the mental misfires that afflicted the offense on a late-season skid in 2024. And Brown, who caught 30 passes last season in Washington, is at last utilized in an offense that emphasizes his speed and timing. In a receiver room now headed by Brian Thomas Jr., and the rising Parker Washington, Brown’s camp rise is no accident—it’s a reaction to a quarterback quietly demanding more.

Bold claim on Trevor Lawrence’s new teammate, Travis Hunter!

While Dyami Brown builds a rhythm with QB1, he’s also getting a front-row seat to one of the most ambitious rookie projects in recent NFL memory. Travis Hunter isn’t just here to compete; he is here to disrupt both sides of the football. For a Jaguars team searching for playmakers, that disruption is more than welcome.

“He’s amazing,” Brown said when asked about Hunter’s versatility. “You never know what you gonna get outta him. He does stuff a little bit different. And he does stuff out of the ordinary, too.” It wasn’t flattery, it was firsthand experience. As a wideout, Brown sees Hunter lined up next to him in meetings. And as a receiver facing a corner, he sees him as an opponent, too. ”It be a surprise to you, but just knowing Travis, you’ll expect it,” he added.

That unpredictability is exactly what’s making heads spin in the Jaguars’ camp. Hunter is taking equal reps at cornerback and wide receiver. A strategy that was used in college at Coloradoplaying under Deion Sanders. But in the NFL, it’s a taller request. Yet GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen aren’t merely accepting the notion. They’re facilitating it. Coen has been said to alter install times so that Hunter could swing between rooms, whereas Gladstone pointed out that “Travis came in ready to work and earn it on both fronts.”

The payoff? Coaches aren’t getting a gimmick, they’re getting commitment. Hunter’s in pads early, lingering late at walkthroughs, and always asking for feedback. “He’s wired a little differently,” one assistant coach said to local media this week. And in a room full of veterans attempting to propel Jacksonville back into the playoff picture, Hunter isn’t just adapting, he’s exceeding expectations.

His journey won’t be smooth. No two-way players in NFL history have consistently carried on both sides. But the Jaguars aren’t handling him like a sideshow attraction. They’re scheming around him, counting on his instincts, and allowing passers like Dyami Brown to feel his uncertainty firsthand. And for Trevor Lawrence, now crafting his own script after four chaotic years, Hunter and Brown could very well be the surprise partnership that keeps it on course.