A decorated run with the Colorado Buffaloes, a Heisman Trophy winner with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft: Travis Hunter arrived in Jacksonville with the kind of promise few rookies carry. But his first season ended before he could fully show that range, with a torn LCL in his right knee forcing him into months of rehab. Unable to run, Hunter turned the weight room into his outlet, using the time to build his upper body and prepare for a sophomore season where he will have plenty to prove.

“I feel a lot stronger,” Travis Hunter said per Rachel Phillips via X. “It was me going in (the weight room) and getting my overall body right and just getting in shape. I couldn’t run, so (the weight room) was my best friend and being able to let out some of the anger because I (didn’t) have my two feet.”

Hunter’s injury came during defensive drills in late October and required surgery to repair the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. The Jaguars later announced that there was no additional damage to the knee and that he was expected to return to full football activities within six months. That timeline left him limited through the offseason, but it also gave him a different kind of training block. Since he could not run, the weight room became the place where he could still work, stay conditioned, and channel the frustration of a rookie year that ended too soon.

That added strength could matter once Hunter is cleared for a full workload again. As a cornerback, upper-body strength helps with press coverage, hand fighting, tackling, and holding position against bigger receivers. For a player whose value is tied to surviving snaps on both sides of the ball, the physical part of his rehab is not just about looking stronger; it is about preparing his body for the demands that made him such a unique prospect in the first place.

As an elite two-way talent, Hunter played 324 offensive snaps and 162 defensive snaps in his rookie season, accounting for 67% of the Jaguars’ offensive snaps and 36% of their defensive snaps. Although he was not able to play after October, his usage showed that Jacksonville was serious about testing the two-way plan early rather than treating it as a draft-night talking point.

With his return from an injury, there was significant scrutiny about whether Hunter could stay healthy and provide top-tier production on both ends of the floor. Further adding fuel to the fire, the NFL Network also reported that the former Colorado Buffaloes star would predominantly play defense in 2026. But shutting down these rumors, the Jacksonville GM James Gladstone confirmed that Hunter “is set to play both sides of the ball.”

As the message became clear from the Jaguars’ front office, Hunter also made it known that outside questions about his role do not bother him.

“It didn’t bother me,” Hunter said, per ESPN. “They’ve been doing that my whole career.”

The desire to play both sides of the ball has been part of Hunter’s football identity long before he reached the NFL. In an interview with CBS, he even said he would rather stop playing football than be forced to choose between cornerback and receiver.

“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter told CBS Sports. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”

Hunter offered an early glimpse of that versatility in his first NFL game against the Carolina Panthers. The 23-year-old logged six receptions for 33 yards on eight targets, took six defensive snaps, and recorded a tackle. Those numbers made him the first player in 20 years to record at least five receptions and play five defensive snaps in the same game.

Now, the next step is less about proving that he can do both in theory and more about proving that he can sustain it after injury. Having used rehab to strengthen his body, Hunter enters 2026 with the Jaguars still committed to the experiment that made him one of the most talked-about players in the league.

Having worked on his body, Hunter will be ready to take the 2026 season by storm and establish himself as the league’s latest two-way sensation. He will have a chance to do that in Gameweek 1 itself as Hunter faces a familiar figure.

Travis Hunter to battle Shedeur Sanders in Week 1 of the  2026 season

When the NFL unveiled its 2026 schedule, fans immediately identified some of the most captivating games littered all over the year. But one particularly noteworthy game scheduled in opening week is the contest between Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, who previously played together for the Colorado Buffaloes, as the Cleveland Browns will travel to Florida to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The pair carried the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in the 2024 college football season, which included an appearance in the Alamo Bowl. They also held each other accountable, but that came with the competitive zeal both had in them as athletes. When Shedeur slipped in the 2025 NFL draft, Hunter made sure to call the QB, despite himself having been picked second.

They played a lot of football together in college, but Week 1 could put them on opposite sides of the same matchup. Both know each other’s strengths, tendencies, and weaknesses, which adds another layer to the game. For Hunter, the matchup also gives him a natural stage to show where his recovery stands, especially if Jacksonville follows through on its plan to increase his defensive usage.

Travis Hunter enters the 2026 season with a point to prove. After a rookie year cut short by injury, he has spent the offseason getting stronger while the Jaguars have continued to back his two-way role. The weight room became his outlet during rehab, but the real answer will come once he is back on the field, trying to turn that frustration into the kind of impact Jacksonville traded up to get.