Liam Coen Still Unsure About His Plans for Travis Hunter After Jaguars Rookie’s Return Post Injury

As Travis Hunter told CBS Sports earlier this year, it’s either him playing both offense and defense or “It’s never playing football again.” Hunter was a two-way player in college, too. And according to many, it wasn’t his expertise on one particular side that made him a top draft pick; it was his skillfulness on both sides combined. However, Hunter’s wish to serve as both a wide receiver and a cornerback brings its own set of unique challenges for Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen.

Having joined the Jaguars in January 2025, Coen was handed the responsibility to upskill the team. But the team also drafted Hunter this year. And no experience from coaching the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed to be enough for Coen to handle Hunter and his blessing. As Coen put it, “No other coaches dealt with this. Really, you have to go back and look at high school because players go both ways.” Still, Coen has somewhat of a Week 1 plan in place for Hunter, who missed quite some time in camp due to an upper-body injury.

Recently, Coen confirmed that Hunter will play in their Week 1 game against the Carolina Panthers. However, he also admitted that the team is still in the process of determining whether Hunter will play on offense, defense, or both sides. “We’re still working through it right now. He obviously missed a lot of time there that can impact playing anybody, nonetheless a rookie that misses quite a bit of time so what that usage looks like we’re still working through,” Coen noted in a statement.

Hunter sustained the injury on August 14 and ended up missing the final two preseason games. Last week, GM James Gladstone said that the player has fully recovered from the injury. Although Hunter was limited in practice, he returned to full participation this week. Speaking of his Week 1 role, the GM explained that the staff wants him to play on both sides. “We expect him to be who we know him to be, and that’s somebody who impacts both sides of the football, and can’t wait to see that on Sundays and one Monday night here this season,” Gladstone said.

That said, the uncertainty surrounding Hunter’s regular-season role cannot be blamed on the team. His two-way talent is undoubtedly difficult to coach and put into effect. As The Athletic beautifully put it on X, “Liam Coen is going into this with no blueprint to follow… How will the Jaguars use him? This summer has been an ongoing science experiment.” However, Coen, so far, has focused on executing the “experiment” and chosen not to give up.

Liam Coen has supported Travis Hunter in every possible way

Liam Coen and his staff built an entire plan around Travis Hunter to put his talent to use. From teaching him both offensive and defensive schemes to balancing his practice reps and structuring meetings to help him learn with two different position groups, they did it all. And that means the Jaguars had to expand the support system around him as well. Athletic trainers, sports science staff, dietitians, and player engagement coaches helped ensure Hunter could handle the two-way workload efficiently. So, what was the process like?

In the Spring, Hunter mostly worked at wide receiver. After training camp opened in July, he was spending two days on offense and one on defense before flipping back. In the first intrasquad scrimmage, Hunter was working on both units. By the third week of camp, he was doubling up in a single day, practicing on offense and defense back-to-back. Hunter’s workload was quite balanced, and the numbers from training camp reflect that. 

In 15 practices, Hunter logged a total of 364 snaps. That number was broken down into 188 snaps on offense and 176 on defense: almost an even split. In 11-on-11 sessions alone, he saw 173 offensive reps and 168 defensive reps. The Jaguars continue to keep a close watch on the player’s schedule and health with a thorough plan, but Week 1 against Carolina will be the first test of how sustainable the plan actually is over a full game.