The Jacksonville Jaguars made a bold move by trading up to the second overall pick in the draft to snag Travis Hunter, and the excitement around this young talent is palpable. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already started to see the potential in Hunter during their offseason workouts together, and his comments reflect that optimism.
“He’s got a lot of juice,” Lawrence said on the first day of organized team activities. “He can run all day. A lot of energy. I love it. Good energy. … High motor. He’s like a kid; he can just run around all day. He doesn’t get tired, it seems like. You can’t have enough of that.”
Those words underscore the kind of athlete Hunter is – someone who not only brings talent but also infectious energy onto the field. Lawrence gets right to the point about Hunter’s skills. “His talent speaks for itself. Ball skills, run after the catch. He’s very explosive.” In fact, the quarterback was pleasantly surprised by Hunter’s agility, noting his impressive ability to cut sharply during routes. With only a few days of work together thus far, Lawrence is optimistic about the chemistry they’re cultivating. “We’ve only worked together a couple of days now, so we’ve got some time to really dial in on the details,” he added.
Hunter’s college career at the University of Colorado showcased his remarkable endurance and versatility as he played a tremendous amount of snaps as a two-way player. In his 2024 Heisman Trophy-winning season, he participated in an astounding 86.8% of the offensive snaps and 82.9% of the defensive snaps, racking up a total of 1,460 out of 1,725 possible snaps. To put that in perspective, no other player in the Football Bowl Subdivision approached that level of participation, with the next closest coming in at just 56%. It’s clear that this kid has a motor that just doesn’t quit.
Even with a busy schedule leading up to the draft, Hunter’s conditioning seems to have remained intact. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen expressed his satisfaction with the rookie’s readiness, noting, “The one thing you notice is for a guy who hasn’t played a ton of football or been out conditioning maybe for the last two months because he was on a little bit of a tour, the guy can run forever. You can tell he’s in football shape.”
The Jaguars’ strategy appears to revolve around maximizing Hunter’s potential while also understanding the need to manage his workload. They plan to primarily utilize him on one side of the ball, with sub-packages on the other to mitigate physical strain. While we won’t have a complete picture of how this will all come together until the 2025 season kicks off, what’s already evident is that Hunter is more than ready to rise to the challenge.
As for Lawrence, he’s committed to building a strong connection with Hunter despite the challenges that come with both players learning new systems. “You get as many reps as we can,” he said, emphasizing the importance of communication. “Just to get him up to speed because obviously he’s learning a new system. Super talented, really smart. But it takes some time to learn the system. So we’re just trying to get him up to speed so he can go play fast and free and not have to think about it.”
Jaguars fans have been eagerly anticipating the dynamic of Hunter paired alongside standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., a connection that promises to electrify their receiving corps. As the team leans into Hunter’s diverse skill set, he’s shown a willingness to adapt and run wherever needed. The stage is set for what could be an exciting evolution in Jacksonville, with the rookie looking to make a mark and Lawrence eager to help him shine.
