Hunter, selected second overall by the Jaguars in the 2025 NFL Draft after a bold trade-up with the Cleveland Browns, has already become the talk of Jacksonville. His debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers—where the Jaguars fell 31-25—showcased flashes of his rare athletic versatility. He snagged two receptions and even took snaps on defense, drawing praise and scrutiny alike from coaches and analysts.
“He made a couple good catches on some option routes and missed the one tackle defensively that I noticed,” head coach Liam Coen reflected after the game. “I thought offensively, he made the right decisions. Made a good catch, almost broke out of that one where Trevor [Lawrence] put it behind him on that third down. But I’ll have to watch the tape a little bit more to know more.”
But what truly set social media ablaze was the revelation of Hunter’s academic achievements. In an age where the spotlight often focuses solely on athletic prowess, Hunter’s 3.9 GPA from Colorado was a viral sensation, drawing admiration from fans and fellow athletes. As The Spun and Fox News highlighted, Hunter’s cerebral approach matches his on-field intensity. “That’s all I have to do is play football and go out there and study and make sure I understand what I’m doing,” Hunter told reporters, undaunted by the mental challenge of mastering playbooks on both sides of the ball.
Hunter’s journey to this moment is the stuff of legend. Once the most decorated player in a single college football season, he claimed eight major awards, including the Heisman Trophy in December 2024. His emotional acceptance speech at Lincoln Center, where he dedicated his success to his father, resonated far beyond the gridiron.
His path to Jacksonville was paved by history and ambition. After starting at Jackson State under Deion Sanders, Hunter followed “Coach Prime” to Colorado, where he cemented his status as a generational talent. Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone didn’t mince words after the draft: “Travis Hunter is a rare player, rare person; that combination in some way, shape or form makes it fairly easy [to trade up]. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport; Travis has the potential to do just that.”
Now, as the Jaguars prepare for the regular season opener against the Carolina Panthers on September 7, all eyes are on Hunter’s evolution. Will he join the pantheon of two-way NFL legends like Chuck Bednarik and Don Hutson? The odds are daunting, but if anyone can defy the limits of the modern game, it’s Travis Hunter—scholar, playmaker, and the new heartbeat of Jacksonville.
For more on Hunter’s journey, check out Jaguars make bold move to land Travis Hunter at No. 2 and follow the story on Travis Hunter’s official Twitter.