Travis Hunter is going to play both ways in the NFL. Any question about that was answered in the first week of Jacksonville Jaguars Training Camp when the former Colorado Heisman winner took reps on both sides of the ball, splitting his time between the two positions.
Hunter spent most of rookie minicamp working at WR, but that was a calculated move according to the Jaguars staff because they believed learning the offensive system would take Hunter longer.
Modern football has not seen a true two-way star like Hunter. Many questioned if he could do it at the college level, and many more have questioned whether it's sustainable at the NFL level. Of course, Hunter dominated the collegiate competition, winning the Heisman last season with the Buffaloes. The NFL will be a different story, but anyone doubting Hunter is probably setting themselves up for failure.
There are some, however, who believe Hunter could be better served focusing on one position over the other. NFL analyst and former player Ryan Clark is one of them. Clark is a former defensive back, playing 12 years in the NFL as a safety, most notably for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won a Super Bowl in 2009.
Clark believes the defensive backfield is where Hunter's priority should be.
Ryan Clark sees Travis Hunter as a Hall of Fame talent at CB
Clark shared a video over the weekend on X of Hunter showing off his tremendous football I.Q. in a defensive rep at Jaguars practice. Hunter diagnoses the play quickly, and breaks on the ball in a hurry and narrowly misses an interception of QB Trevor Lawrence:
Man!!! I’m going to die on the “TRAVIS HUNTER AT CORNER FIRST” hill. He was born to do it! #Halloffametalent pic.twitter.com/NWgBpMkimb
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) July 27, 2025
Colorado fans are familiar with plays like that from Hunter. They were a regular occurrence in Boulder on gamedays and at practice. What makes Hunter so special is that, along with his work ethic and generational athletic ability, Hunter has preternatural football instincts that you are either born with, or you aren't.
Clark isn't wrong. As good as Hunter is at WR, he's even better at corner. But he's not interested in limiting himself to one side of the football. He is a football player through and through and is good enough to compete as a rookie for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
How the Jaguars split up his reps as the season gets going will be fascinating to watch. They will want to express caution in their young superstar, but the clock is ticking for this team to win. Patience is not often afforded to NFL coaches and General Managers, so Hunter could be thrown to the wolves rather quickly in Jacksonville because of how big an impact he can make both ways.