JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Two-way star Travis Hunter will move to the other side of the ball next week after only two days of a rookie small training camp in Jacksonville.
Liam Coen said Saturday that Hunter will start repeating defense when the team re-entered offseason conditions. It should lay the foundation for Hunter’s huge role in organized team activities.
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"He will be able to fit in the ball's defense next week," Cohen said. "He will start defending."
He is already on the offense. Hunter caught almost every ball with his rookie companion. How many routes or results are there not taken? Well, Hunter is right back to the front of the line and rework.
"The organization expects me a lot," Hunter said. "They hope I can come out and compete immediately. I will do everything I can right away."
The Jaguars traded three locations, abandoned their second-round picks, next year’s first-round picks, and more options to choose the Hunters in last month’s NFL draft. He gives the franchise more power than the star powers he has had for decades - perhaps ever.
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Fans packed a small professional store outside the driving range and waited for his No. 12 jersey in a deep way. The Heisman Trophy winner has his own YouTube channel, illuminating the room with a smile and improving the game for everyone around him. He did it in high school in Georgia and did it again at Jackson State and Colorado universities.
Despite Hunter's 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, the Jaguars still expect the trend to continue. On Friday, Hunter's cleats slid down a route, he caught Cohen's eyes in practice without slowing down or getting stuck a little bit.
“A lot of gains have been made,” Cohen said. “What’s more important is the energy he really provides in the classroom, in the conference room and on the field.”
Hunter became the first person to his immediate family when he took the stage in Colorado Thursday in Jaguars pajamas pants.
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"When I was selected, it was the first thing I ordered from Amazon," Hunter said.
The next day, he wore a Jaguar jersey for the first time. This is blue-green. At some point soon, he expected to swap between cyan and white in the same exercise. Or, as Hunter suggests, maybe you can get your own color. No one would be surprised considering that he is so unique.
Last season, Hunter caught 96 passes at Colorado for a total of 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, and scored 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 8 forced incompletes and 4 interceptions, while only one touchdown was allowed.
The Jaguars intend to use him in similar roles this fall and plan to have him play as a slot receiver offense and cornerback on some defensive aspects. This is a more familiar area than anyone else in college football in 2024 (1,461).
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Hunter has already played a leadership role in rookie and hopes to do the same with other teammates. He has two former Colorado guys around him, defensive winger BJ Green II and Safety Cam'ron Silmon-Craig, which might help.
Silmon-Craig and Hunter played together for the first time at Jackson State in 2022 and have been teammates ever since.
“It feels like a family,” Silmon-Craig said. "It's new things around us. We just want to change the culture here and build a culture. Why not attract a few people in Colorado?"
Especially the guys in Colorado.
"He's a craftsman, a game-changer, an amazing guy," said Silmon-Craig. "If he comes out here and doesn't dance for a single practice, I'm going to ask him, 'How are you? What's wrong?'
"That's what he does. He dances and flies and has fun. That's why I love him."
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