HOFer Goes Against Typical Travis Hunter Position Debate as Liam Coen Announces Plans For Jaguars Rookie

There can be many great NFL players, but there can only be one Travis Hunter. Sure, he might have won the Heisman Trophy, and sure, he might get one of the best rookie contracts. But being Travis Hunter has its own set of problems. The biggest question troubling everyone, probably even the team management, right now, would be: Where do you play Travis Hunter? He is an anomaly in the world of modern football. Someone who can play in two different positions with equal grace.

Travis Hunter started playing at the top of his potential as a cornerback as well as a wide receiver when he reached college football. He initially played for Jackson State for one year under Deion Sanders, who also played in two positions like Hunter. He then moved to Colorado with Sanders. It was there that Hunter truly reached his potential and caught everyone’s attention. During this period, Hunter received 1,979 yards, making 153 receptions in the offense, and also made 66 tackles on the defense.

It is because of these stats that ever since the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him, a debate has ensued over where the team would play him. Recent reports have suggested that Liam Coen would be training him in both positions. And since then, experts have been voicing their opinions over where he should actually play.

One such expert and Hall of Famer, Rod Woodson, appeared on the Up & Adams podcast and talked about the Travis Hunter position debate. Giving his input, Rod weighed in on Travis playing in the cornerback position instead of a wide receiver. Reasoning out his opinion, he said, “I would put him at the corner because it’s hard to find a shutdown corner. It’s just really hard to find a shutdown corner.” Highlighting Travis’s ability to effectively limit the receiver from collecting the pass by sticking to him. 

Where does Hall of Fame DB Rod Woodson think Travis Hunter will have the most success?

Offense or Defense.@heykayadams | @RodWoodson26 pic.twitter.com/wRLvfz2MtB

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 11, 2025

Woodson also cited the availability of a shutdown corner or shutdown cornerback as one of his reasons for the opinion. “It’s easier to find receivers that can go out and catch the ball, make plays, and get touchdowns. But to find a shutdown corner that can play 10 to 12 years, shutting the opposing best team players down, it’s hard to find,” he added. While his advice might not help Travis so much, it will probably be helpful for the team. After all, if they are getting a shutdown cornerback, they will use him as such.

As experts and pundits discuss which position Travis Hunter might play, the team seems to have made a decision. Head coach Liam Coen seems to have been giving the two-position question some thought, and it looks like he is finally ready to test out his theory.

Liam Coen finds the answer to the Travis Hunter problem

Ever since Travis Hunter joined the Jaguars, he was not sure if he would be playing in two positions despite his wishes. But it now seems that his wishes are coming true. After only playing on the offense or defense as per the team’s schedule, the time has come for Hunter to make his mark.

Having slowed down his journey into playing two positions by managing the workload, Liam Coen now feels that Travis is ready for the next step. Surprisingly enough, Coen has decided to hurry his progress, mentioning that Travis’s two-way play training will begin as early as the training camp. This is as opposed to his previous plan of not training him for that until week 1. Reports suggest that the reason for this acceleration is his acclimatization to the offensive play early on in the offseason.

Talking to the reporters after Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp, Coen talked about Hunter’s physical conditioning and the reason he is able to play in two positions. “I think what helps him do things right a lot is that he’s so well conditioned that, from a mental fatigue standpoint, doesn’t seem to occur all that much out here, where he can kind of just run,” Coen said. “So that’s been exciting to see, and he’s going to have to lean into that as he goes here and the reps start to go up and he starts to play offense and defense on the same day, which will occur in training camp,” Coen added as he revealed the plan to have Travis play both the roles in the same day.

From what Coen has shared with the reporters, it is safe to say that Travis will be playing in two positions for the Jaguars. However, we’ll have to keep a close eye on the training camp to determine which position he will play, preferably. And in what circumstances?

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