The scene at Jacksonville Jaguars training camp is anything but routine. Travis Hunter Jr., the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, walked into the NFL spotlight this summer with more expectations than most rookies ever face.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jaguars pulled off a gutsy trade to land the No. 2 overall pick and make Hunter their future. But now, with a minor injury keeping him out of drills, fans and analysts are buzzing about whether Jacksonville risked too much for a player who might not see the field the way everyone imagined.
Why Did the Jacksonville Jaguars Take a Risk on Travis Hunter Jr.?
Right after the Jaguars moved up for Hunter, Ryan Clark, a Super Bowl champion turned analyst, fired off a blunt warning on a recent segment on ESPN’s “Get Up”: “If he [Travis Hunter] doesn’t play both sides of the football, you wasted a pick. You wasted assets.”
“You decided that moving up to number two wasn’t truly what you wanted to do because he’s not the number two pick as a wide receiver,” Clark continued. “He’s not the number two pick as a cornerback. He is the number two pick if he plays both.”
The Jaguars gave up their No. 5 pick, a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round selection (No. 126), and a 2026 first-round pick. That hefty price tag raised some heavy expectations.
Jacksonville hopes Hunter will become the kind of star who instantly changes everything. But as the analyst pointed out, if injuries get in the way or Hunter isn’t used on both offense and defense, that trade could look like a mistake.
How Will Travis Hunter’s Camp Injury Affect the Jaguars’ Plans?
Adding to the drama, Hunter was held out of team periods on Aug. 15 and Aug. 19 at the Miller Electric Center with what head coach Liam Coen called an “upper-body” injury. He also sat out the Jaguars’ Week 2 preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 17.
Coen says the issue isn’t serious, but fans and media people are asking one big question: Will Hunter’s body hold up to the pounding that comes with playing both offense and defense every week for 17 games?
Ryan Clark says if Travis Hunter doesn’t play Offense & Defense that means the Jaguars WASTED the #2 pick on Get up pic.twitter.com/SlanKCAQvg
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) August 19, 2025
Before the injury, Hunter showed why the Jaguars bet big on him. During camp, he got 188 snaps on offense with 27 catches on 39 targets. On defense, he lined up for 176 snaps and let up just six catches on 14 targets, while batting down five passes. Hunter’s preseason debut against Pittsburgh on Aug. 9 saw him grab two passes for nine yards in 10 offensive snaps and log eight defensive snaps, though he didn’t record a defensive stat.
The Jaguars are sticking to their plan, hoping Hunter will live up to the hype and become the NFL’s next true two-way threat. The front office sees him as the kind of difference-maker who can swing games, something the league hasn’t seen much since Deion Sanders.
Travis Hunter looking fierce back at practice 💪💪
📹: @Demetrius82 pic.twitter.com/dEvsr1CJb3
— SleeperJaguars (@SleeperJaguars) August 19, 2025
Still, that earlier warning hangs over the team: If Hunter winds up focusing only on offense or defense, Jacksonville’s move up to No. 2 could be second-guessed for years.
Hunter’s next shot to get back on the field will be Jacksonville’s preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars want him healthy for Week 1, but they’ll watch his workload closely. Until then, Hunter’s health is the biggest question mark, and whether the Jaguars’ all-in gamble pays off is anyone’s guess.
