The Jacksonville Jaguars have increased the workload on the Colorado standout Travis Hunter. The front office is currently experimenting with his role on both offense and defense. While the Jaguars remain intrigued by Hunter’s rare two-way versatility, NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter believes dividing the young star’s focus isn’t going to help the team. 

“The Travis Hunter experiment, they messed that up,” Carter said on the new episode of Inside Football. “It’s like, if I have a little kid and he’s playing baseball, and I decide he’s gonna be a switch hitter. So, okay, he’s gonna bat 300 left every day. He’s gonna bat 300 right every day. One side of the plate is getting hurt. Because if he had taken 600 swings as a lefty, how much better would he have gotten?

“So, for me, there’s no college player that can play two positions, play on both sides of the ball, especially initially. Let’s teach him one thing. Denny Green used to say this to every player. ‘I’m gonna give you an assignment. I’m gonna give you a role. You better master that role before you ever come back to me asking for, can I do more.’”

Hunter had already demonstrated that he can handle two roles during his time at Colorado. At Boulder, he played as a wide receiver and a cornerback for two years. Over 22 games, he caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he racked up 47 solo tackles, one forced fumble, and seven interceptions as a CB. But things didn’t go as well as he might have expected in the NFL.

In his rookie year, he played only seven games, during which he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and scored one touchdown. As a cornerback, he recorded only 11 solo tackles without any interceptions, sacks, or forced fumbles. 

It’s actually the team’s defensive vulnerabilities that prompted the front office to analyze Hunter as a cornerback prospect. The Jaguars ranked 21st in pass defense and gave up about 218.1 yards per game in 2025. With the unit searching for answers, several coaches, including defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, believe Hunter could become the team’s number one cornerback. 

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Myron Medcalf also echoed a similar perspective on First Take. He argued that the Jaguars should abandon the offensive reps for Hunter and use him as a defensive lineman. 

“On defense, he’s a superior playmaker,” Medcalf said. “Like, to me, this is a team that’s trying to get into the playoffs in advance. Like, this is the guy who gets that interception in the third quarter for you. That changes the game. This is the guy who forces the fumble in the fourth quarter that helps you advance in the playoffs. That’s where you got to put Travis Hunter, because I think that to me is where he helps you win playoff games, which is what this team is trying to do.” 

Of course, splitting the reps risks diluting the development required to become an elite contributor. And the Jaguars need to decide whether to use Hunter on the offense or defense.