Travis Hunter has returned to Jacksonville Jaguars training camp determined to resume the two-way role that made him one of the NFL’s most unusual players before a knee injury ended his rookie season.

Hunter has been working at wide receiver and cornerback during the opening practices at the Miller Electric Center, nine months after surgery to repair the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee — and Jacksonville has no intention of restricting him permanently to one side of the ball. The challenge, however, is managing a player who needs enough work to develop at both positions without doubling the physical demands placed upon a body only recently cleared for full football activity.

“How do we balance his reps here, knowing that we’re trying to ease him in, but that he also, at some point, needs to get double the amount that a normal player gets?” head coach Liam Coen said. “And what does that ramp-up look like? We have it all kind of mapped out on every single practice schedule. His reps are highlighted in here — where he’s in, what plays he’s in, where he’s at on the field. We’ve been extremely intentional about it.”

Hunter played seven games as a rookie after Jacksonville traded up to select him second overall in the 2025 draft. He logged 324 offensive snaps and 162 on defense before suffering the knee injury during a non-contact practice in late October. The nine-month rehabilitation prevented Hunter participating fully in the Jaguars’ offseason programme, but gave him time to add approximately 10lb of upper-body muscle. Initial concern that the extra weight might diminish his speed disappeared when he was clocked at 22.6mph during a workout at the team’s facility.

“I was a small guy coming in and everybody was like, ‘Gain weight, gain weight’,” Hunter said. “I was scared at first. I’m like, ‘Dang, I’ve never played at this weight. I’m going to feel heavy, not going to be able to do what I do’. Training and being able to put those months in — not just on the grass, but in the weight room — just putting in extra work, made me feel lighter on my feet when I finally touched the grass.”

Hunter has now set himself a target of reaching 23mph, although the more important measures will come when he is required to change direction, absorb contact and repeat high-intensity plays on both sides of the football.

“I put nine months in, so it doesn’t feel like I’m coming off an injury,” Hunter said. “Just get the rust off right now. I’ve been gone for nine months, not able to be out here with my team-mates for nine months, so [it’s good] finally being able to hit the grass, knock the rust off and just continue to click with the quarterbacks and click with the defense.”

The Jaguars’ commitment to the experiment has survived a rookie season that provided only a limited sample. Hunter’s offensive workload was twice his defensive total, but Jacksonville still intends to use his receiving ability and coverage skills rather than choosing the position at which he might offer the greatest conventional value. Re-signing cornerback Montaric Brown in March gave the Jaguars greater flexibility in the secondary, while Brian Thomas Jr, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers provide established receiving options. Jacksonville can therefore adjust Hunter’s weekly balance according to match-up, fitness and need without leaving either unit entirely dependent upon him — and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has already noticed the physical benefit of Hunter’s rehabilitation work.

“You never want to see anybody get injured, but I think he really put his best foot forward in the weight room as he was recovering from a lower-body injury,” Campanile said. “He just looks really physical in the team work and in the individual period. So he’s done a good job.”

Jacksonville won nine of its final 10 games without Hunter to claim the AFC South last season, so his return strengthens a team that learned how to succeed in his absence. It also allows the Jaguars to revisit the reason they paid such a substantial draft price for him. The physical transformation is encouraging, but the decisive test will be whether Jacksonville’s carefully mapped workload can keep Hunter available long enough for that possibility to become a weekly reality.