Travis Hunter’s road to 2026 training camp was anything but a straight line. An LCL tear in October cut his rookie year short after just seven games with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but not before he flashed true star potential, becoming the first NFL player this century to log 200+ receiving yards and 10+ tackles in a single season.
Now, six months post-surgery and fully cleared for camp, the focus shifts to defense. That’s precisely why The Athletic named Hunter Jacksonville’s breakout candidate for 2026, pointing to a secondary that desperately needs his elite coverage traits to fix their pass defense.
Travis Hunter Predicted as Jaguars Breakout Candidate in 2026
GettyJacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter receives breakout player prediction for 2026.
The Jacksonville Jaguars open camp on July 28 with a clear runway to make noise in the AFC South.
Trevor Lawrence’s connection with Brian Thomas Jr. stabilized the offense late last year, but the Jaguars’ ceiling ultimately hinges on their defense. And their defense depends on whether Travis Hunter can transform Anthony Campanile’s unit into a nightmare for rival offenses.
The Athletic’s staffers believe he will.
“Dual-threat Travis Hunter had impressed the Jaguars in limited action as a rookie before his season-ending knee injury in an October practice,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote.
“Hunter needs to be an important part of Anthony Campanile’s defense, as the Jags’ vulnerabilities in the secondary were on full display during their playoff loss to the Bills. Hunter will get his chances on offense, too, but the Jaguars really need him to be special on defense if they’re going to win their first playoff game in four years.”
On Peter Schrager’s podcast, Coen laughed off any talk of Hunter dropping his two-way status, but insider chatter points to a clear shift in usage.
Travis Hunter to Primarily Play on Defense?
GettyJacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter receives breakout player prediction for 2026.
Word out of NFL insiders and reports from offseason practice sessions is that Hunter’s role is undergoing a pivot. As a rookie, Hunter saw 67% of his snaps on offense compared to just 36% at cornerback.
Jaguars’ senior writer John Oehser’s best guess is Travis Hunter plays mainly on the defensive side, and still turns out to be the most dangerous player on Coen’s team.
“Best guess here? Hunter will play extensively in a starting role defensively and emerge as one of the NFL’s best young cornerbacks while playing a significant role as a receiver – particularly in third-down and three-receiver situations,” Oehser writes.
Even former Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane buys into Hunter excelling at cornerback.
” I expect the lion’s share (unicorn’s share) of his snaps in ’26 to come on defense,” Lane says.
The reason is simple. Jacksonville needs a saving grace on its defense to turn into a serious contender. That was the reason they traded up to grab him at No. 2 overall. With a loaded wide receiver room featuring Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and the serious threat that is Brian Thomas Jr., the talent there isn’t a concern.
The cornerback room, however, is almost a disaster without Hunter.
After Tyson Campbell’s trade to the Cleveland Browns, the depth at CB has been a major question.
Jourdan Lewis, Montaric Brown, and Jarrian Jones are situational DBs. Hunter is better built to battle primary AFC receivers every single week.
That also gives the Colorado phenom room to outperform everyone and set himself as the standard instead of the crowded wideout room.
Jacksonville Jaguars Receive Promising Travis Hunter Prediction Ahead of Training Camp