In four seasons since Jacksonville crowned Trevor Lawrence their savior, the results have been a study in contrast. Statistically, he’s within striking distance of overtaking David Garrard (needs 2,189 yards to pass) and Blake Bortles (needs 3,831 yards) on one of the Jaguars‘ all-time passing charts, a testament to his volume and grit. Yet for every 4,000-yard campaign, there’s been a rash of turnovers, lingering injuries, and moments he looked more like a caretaker than a cornerstone. That duality has quietly defined his tenure in Duval.

Even with a career tally already at 13,815 yards, the franchise’s ambitions seem restless. New GM James Gladstone hinted at patience—”I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Trevor“—but his measured optimism feels like a hedge. After all, this is a regime that mortgaged draft capital for Travis Hunter, signaling a cultural reboot. In a locker room tilting toward a fresh identity, the question lingers: Is Trevor still the face of the Jaguars?

Enter USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, who observes that there’s been a culture shift in Jacksonville and Lawrence is no more the face of the franchise. “Jacksonville, in my opinion, is one of the few franchises now where their face of the franchise is probably not going to be Trevor Lawrence,” Tyler pointed out. Rather than the fifth-year quarterback, it’s Hunter who’s now the face of the Jags. “It’s going to be Travis Hunter,” he added.

The Jaguars moved up and snagged Hunter with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The writing was on the wall, and the new head coach, Liam Coen, is now all set to get the benefit of Hunter’s dual abilities. Both offensive and defensive sides of the ball. During the Jags’ minicamp, the former Colorado receiver/cornerback showed everyone why the hype is real.

He snagged three catches on offense on day 3 of the camp—smooth, no drops—and even flipped over to defense mid-practice to play zone coverage, where he was targeted once and locked it down. To spice things up, he bulked up more than most of the roster during sprint workouts. “I think he’s physically grown,” Coen noted. “…I think I’ve seen a little bit of physical growth, specifically in his upper half, and also just, it’s a lot of volume, man. It’s a lot of volume.”

Lawrence, on the other hand, has his fair share of ups and downs. He piled up pretty good numbers, but a significant AC Joint sprain interrupted his 2024 season (finishing 2-8 in ten starts), and by the time he wrapped up his fourth season, the Jags were already down to 4-13. “Trevor Lawrence, yes, he’s had an up-and-down career,” Tyler added, addressing the quarterback’s underwhelming seasons.

“He’s had some great moments, he’s had some so-so moments, and he’s had some moments where he’s looked like a middle-tier to bottom-tier quarterback.” That said, Trevor Lawrence now needs to prove himself, entering the fifth season of his career. In the meantime, Tyler Dragon believes that Hunter will be the face of the franchise.

“This regime traded up a boatload to get Travis Hunter, where this is a new day in Jacksonville,” he said. “This is a culture shift. This is a franchise-altering move. So that, to me, signals that the Jaguars are like changing the whole thing. And they have a new face of the franchise, and Trevor Lawrence has to get in where he fits in and prove that he is a quarterback in the future.” But the silver lining?

Well, the quarterback and the rookie have already shown a special chemistry ahead of their first season together.

The Trever Lawrence-Travis Hunter handshake everyone noticed

Last year, Jaguars’ rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr. came out to be one of the best receivers in the league. The 22-year-old piled up 1,282 yards, third in the league in receiving yards, and earned the PFWA All-Rookie Team. On paper, it seems like a great chemistry with Trevor Lawrence. No arguments. But there’s a wrinkle. Not just Lawrence went down with a shoulder injury last season, but the folks out there have been buzzing that Thomas is kind of quiet when it comes to talking on the field. No trash-talks. No talking to his teammates.

Sure, it’s not Thomas’s fault, and that definitely doesn’t mean his chemistry with the quarterback was bad. But let’s face it—their timing, trust, and understanding as teammates were still in an early stage. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Travis Hunter. There’s a high chance that we might see Lawrence and Hunter clicking in their first season together, especially because we just got a glimpse of their chemistry.

Just a few days ago, a clip of Trevor and Travis went viral, showing the two teammates building chemistry with a hilariously goofy handshake that had fans buzzing. On the offensive side of the ball, Liam Coen and Co. are surely banking on Hunter to complement Thomas Jr. and a guy that the QB can rely on. Because if the last four seasons have told us anything, then it’s certain that Trevor hasn’t had too many of those players during his career.

That said, whether Trevor Lawrence or Travis Hunter emerges as the true face of the franchise will play out in the 2025 season. One thing’s certain, though: the chemistry between them already looks promising.