Jul 24, 2026 9:17 AM
All eyes will be on Travis Hunter’s recovery as the Jaguars determine how to balance his primary cornerback duties with an explosive, yet undefined, role in the offense.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars open training camp in a few days, we will get our first real look at how the team plans to build upon last season's success.
We will also get to see how Bhayshul Tuten looks with the pads on for the first time as Jacksonville's lead back. Will he look as good as he did during OTAs and minicamp, or will Chris Rodriguez Jr., whom we will also see practice for the first time, be able to impress enough to wrestle the job away?
However, the player who will have the most eyes on him during training camp is undoubtedly going to be Travis Hunter. The second-year phenom will be returning from a knee injury that sidelined him after only seven games during his rookie season.
While it may take some time for him to ramp up his full strength, just having him back on the field is huge news for Jacksonville.
Not only will everyone get to see how far along Hunter is in his rehab, but we will also possibly get a clearer picture of how the Jaguars intend to use him in 2026.
That, according to ESPN, is Jacksonville's top storyline for training camp.
What Will Hunter's WR/CB Split Be?
The Jaguars have already let it be known that they will be using Hunter primarily at cornerback in 2026, but head coach Liam Coen has been adamant that he will still be used as a wide receiver. But how often?
That is what Michael DiRocco, who chose the Jags' top storyline for the article, is hoping training camp will shed some light on.
"Biggest storyline: What exactly is the plan for Travis Hunter? He will start on defense as the team's top cornerback -- management has said that multiple times -- but how they will use him offensively is unclear, especially since they drafted two tight ends and coach Liam Coen has said he would like to use more multiple-tight-end formations. If that's the case, that usually means fewer wide receivers on the field, so which one goes to the bench? Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington or Brian Thomas Jr.?
"It seems likely Hunter sees fewer offensive snaps this season than he did as a rookie, when he was on the field for 67% of the snaps in the seven games before his season-ending knee injury, but the Jaguars have been adamant that he will be a two-way player. What that mix might look like should emerge during camp."
DiRocco makes a very good point. The Jaguars are expected to use more multiple tight-end-sets this season, meaning fewer receivers on the field. Combined with the fact that Hunter is probably going to become Jacksonville's top cornerback, seeing him play on offense may be rarer than most fans would like.
When you factor in the emergence of Parker Washington as a burgeoning star and the expected improvement from Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville's need for Hunter at WR is much lower than it was in 2025.
Final Thoughts
Will training camp give us a glimpse at how Coen plans to use Hunter this season, as DiRocco expects?
Maybe. Maybe not. Hunter may be the Jaguars' secret weapon in 2026, with him only being deployed in certain situations. I don't know that Coen will want to give too much of his plans away during camp.
Besides, if Hunter needs time to get back into game shape, any lack of usage during camp practices could be the team just taking it slowly with him as he prepares for the season.
That certainly won't cause any fewer eyes to be on Hunter at camp, and it won't stop any theories or guesses from being made about how the Jaguars intend to use their second-year star.
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