A few days ago, Liam Coen admitted it upfront: he was still figuring out how to use Travis Hunter. Heading into Week 1, Coen openly acknowledged the challenge of managing a rookie who can dominate on both sides of the ball. “We’re still working through it right now,” he said during the week, referencing Hunter’s missed time in camp and preseason. It wasn’t a coach bluffing. It was a coach balancing talent, health, and timing, trying to make sure his two-way phenom doesn’t burn out before the season even begins.

After the game, Coen explained his thinking. “No, I think that was game one, you know, I think that was week one where you missed ten days or so and there was some coverage changes in the back end for us with some of their formations, adjustments, it was a lot that those guys had to handle defensively. And so it was maybe a little bit less for him this game,” he said.

Then came the promise. “I think it’ll only continue to evolve and go more. I thought he played hard on offence, I thought he played fast. He had some good catches, ran the right route. So I can only see it going and expanding from here.”

Sunday, September 7, at EverBank Stadium offered a glimpse of that delicate calculus. Hunter played just six defensive snaps in the Jaguars’ 26–10 win over the Panthers. Instead, he lined up mostly on offense, running crisp routes and making clean catches, showing flashes of the player who was supposed to redefine Jacksonville’s attack. Meanwhile, the Jaguars built an early lead. Cam Little opened the scoring with a 35-yard field goal, then Trevor Lawrence hit Hunter Long for a 6-yard touchdown, and Brian Thomas Jr. added a nine-yard touchdown run. By halftime, Jacksonville led 20–3, and the Panthers were already chasing shadows.

Jason Hamby of Action Sports Jax confirmed Coen’s plan. Hunter will “play a lot more on defense as the season goes.” That’s the headline. This wasn’t about limiting Hunter’s talent. It was smart pacing. Jacksonville leaned on Travis Etienne’s 143 rushing yards, Brenton Strange’s 59 receiving yards, and Little’s four field goals to dominate. Bryce Young and the Panthers tried to mount a comeback late, with Chuba Hubbard catching a 27-yard TD pass, but it was too little, too late.

Travis Hunter is ready for more responsibility

Travis Hunter did not just debut; he arrived. EverBank Stadium turned into his personal runway, fans swarming for autographs and selfies with the NFL’s only two-way star. Hunter soaked it up, then dropped the line that tells you everything about where his mind is. “I did my job. I know I can do more, and I know I can do better.” That is not a rookie easing into the league. That is a player already demanding more from himself after 44 offensive snaps, six catches, and six plays on defense.

No mistakes, no hesitation, just a Heisman winner stepping onto the biggest stage and acting like it belongs to him. He even brushed off what could have been his first touchdown. Panthers corner Jaycee Horn ripped it away with a one-handed interception. Hunter did not sulk. “If he does not get up and make a great play like he did, yeah, I think that was a touchdown.”

That is not excuse-making. That is a competitor processing in real time, knowing the next one is coming. And then, the energy. Hunter cut off his trademark dreadlocks before kickoff, calling it “just time. New me, new person. Welcome to a new chapter.” He backed that up with juice on the sideline, the first to celebrate teammates’ plays, the last to let anyone’s head drop. “Every game, I am trying to bring the energy and bring the guys up,” he said.

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He is not easing into Jacksonville’s plan. He is itching for more, openly craving responsibility. The debut was a blueprint, and the season ahead could be the real showcase.