Travis Hunter Debuts as Two-Way for Jaguars in Win Over Panthers

Travis Hunter made his NFL debut Sunday as a true two way rookie, lining up primarily as Jacksonville's everydown wide receiver while also taking situational snaps at cornerback in the Jaguars 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. The No. 2 overall pick and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner caught six passes for 33 yards, recorded a tackle on defense and played a dual role that the franchise and its opponents will be studying closely.

Jacksonville's week one plan, reported by ESPN, called for Hunter to be used as a fulltime receiver and a situational defensive back for the opener, with the club emphasizing flexibility on a week-to-week basis. Head coach Liam Coen told reporters the staff will "have to figure it out" and that usage figures will be adjusted as they monitor workload, learning curves and game needs. Coen said Hunter missed some preseason time with an upper body issue and that his defensive snaps were scaled back partly because of that limited preparation. "I can only see it going and expanding from here," Coen said after the game.

Stat tallies varied across outlets, but most counted Hunter playing roughly 44 offensive snaps and six on defense, with...