Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy in college for the Colorado Buffaloes as a two-way superstar, truly a full-time wide receiver and a full-time cornerback, the Shohei Ohtani of the NCAA football world.
That hasn’t yet translated to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars despite Hunter being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Hunter’s college coach Deion Sanders is baffled by the whole thing.
Hunter’s path hasn’t been perfectly simple. Injuries as a rookie prevented him from fully spreading his wings, and now he’s part of one of the best WR depth charts in the NFL, limiting the need for the Jags to overextend him on offense.
Still, he hasn’t been the play that some fans dreamed he could be when he was drafted. There’s still plenty of time, but so far, it has been less than dream-like for Hunter in the NFL.
Deion Sanders on Travis Hunter’s Usage
Sanders, still the head coach at Colorado, spoke recently on his CBS Colorado show and said this:
“I don’t ask questions because I’m not there. I don’t know what transpires when we’re not looking. I have no idea what’s going on. I know who he was and who he is right now. I know what he’s capable of. I do know that.”
Sanders isn’t the only one confused.
This is what Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote this week:
“Still, if the Jaguars weren’t prepared to let Hunter do what he clearly wants to do (and he surely made his point clear to them before the draft), why did they give up so much to make him the second overall pick in the draft? That’s the most confounding aspect of this. Everyone knew Hunter wanted to play both ways. The decision to trade up to get Hunter sent a message that the Jaguars were on board with that approach. The numbers, to date, paint a far different picture.”
It’s certainly a fair point. The Jaguars seemed to invest in Hunter as if he’d be a two-way superstar, but they haven’t used him like that yet.
Travis Hunter Snap Count Breakdown
The Jaguars have just played two games in the 2026 NFL season, so there’s still time for things to change.
For now, though, it hasn’t been too exciting for Hunter.
He got four offensive snaps in Week 1 and then six offensive snaps in Week 2.
Defensively, Hunter was in on 29 plays in the opener and then 37 plays in game two.
Hunter has already made enough plays in the NFL to prove he belongs on the field. But how much, and where? Those are the questions everyone still is seeking the answers to.
Jaguars’ Travis Hunter Usage Baffles Colorado Coach Deion Sanders