“Logistically, it’s something we have to work through,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen told ESPN’s Dan Graziano, addressing the elephant in Jacksonville’s camp: how exactly to manage Travis Hunter. The two-way Heisman winner is arguably the most electrifying prospect in recent memory, and after the Jaguars traded up to get him, the hype hit overdrive. But now that the pads are on and the season’s creeping closer, it’s clear Coen isn’t here for highlight-reel dreams.

This is Liam Coen’s first chance to prove he can modernize an offense that stalled under pressure. And this is Hunter’s debut on a team that hasn’t drafted a receiver this high since Justin Blackmon in 2012. With C.J. Stroud looking like the truth in Houston and Anthony Richardson back healthy in Indy, the AFC South isn’t slowing down. And patience? Well, that clock’s already ticking.

Jacksonville isn’t experimenting anymore. They’re chasing relevance after a brutal 4–13 finish in 2024. And to underscore just how delicate this balancing act is, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was recently asked by Rich Eisen to put a number on Travis Hunter’s expected offensive workload. His answer? “80% of snaps or so.” That’s a telling figure. Especially for a rookie expected to go both ways. Jacksonville is building something real with Hunter, and they’re not afraid to lean on him early.

Coen hasn’t been shy about the developmental split in Hunter’s game—and he’s made it clear which side needed the extra polish. “We’ve done more offense because that was where more the development was necessary,” Coen said, explaining why most of Hunter’s training camp reps have leaned toward wide receiver. “They’ll just go walk out in the field and play corner. Like that’s what he’s done. He can go do that very similarly.” But playing both sides of the ball at the NFL level? It’s clearly a scheme. “Offensively we felt like there was a little bit more development that was necessary and it’s a lot more ball, right?” Coen added. And yet Hunter hasn’t flinched.

“He has done his every single day… is completely packed from the moment that he arrives to the moment he leaves.” That discipline is already translating onto the field. Trevor Lawrence, fresh off an injury-shortened 2024, looked sharp in Sunday’s scrimmage. Going 11-of-18 with four touchdowns, two of them to Hunter. The rookie smoked veteran corner Jourdan Lewis twice: once on a red-zone double move, and again with a filthy double-step release. Hunter gave Duval a taste of what’s to come.

Liam Coen navigates early growing pains

Travis Hunter wasn’t drafted to blend in—he was drafted to redefine Jacksonville’s identity on both sides of the ball. A rare two-way weapon with elite twitch and first-round swagger, the Jaguars traded up to build something new around him and Trevor Lawrence. And while Hunter has already shown flashes of brilliance in camp, the rookie reality check is setting in, too. The biggest one? A red-zone misfire this week. Lawrence eyed Hunter at the goal line, but the ball came too early, missed by a foot, and linebacker Ventrell Miller closed it out.

In isolation, it’s just a miss. But for a team trying to fast-track chemistry, those missed beats matter. Hunter’s workload is already substantial—splitting wide receiver reps with Parker Washington and cycling through secondary rotations defensively. But with Christian Kirk now in Houston and Gabe Davis not quite the WR1 alpha, Hunter’s development into a trusted passing-game weapon is crucial. Head coach Liam Coen, though, isn’t pressing panic. “We’re focused on what we’re building as a group.” In other words, it’s about building a system that works through the growing pains.

Still, the challenge ahead is massive. Hunter isn’t just tasked with mastering two positions. He’s doing it as a rookie in a win-now environment. Mentally, that means knowing every route, every check, and every call on both sides of the ball. And if Lawrence ever has to correct his routes mid-huddle, patience will wear thin. The Jaguars made a calculated bet, giving up next year’s first-rounder to jump up and draft him. But now comes the harder part: proving it was the right call.