“I’ve been doing it my whole life… I feel like I can dominate on both sides of the ball.” This is what Travis Hunter said ahead of the draft when asked if he’d be able to play on both sides of the ball in the NFL. In his final season at Colorado, Hunter logged an incredible 713 snaps on offense and 748 on defense, ultimately earning the Heisman Trophy. So it makes perfect sense why he’d want to keep that same energy in Jacksonville.
But you can’t look at him without talking about the elephant in the room: size. In a class stacked with freakishly built receivers and corners like Tetairoa McMillan (6’5″, 212 lbs) and Will Johnson (6’2″, 202 lbs), Hunter’s 6’0″, 188-pound frame sticks out. And not in the “unstoppable athlete” way. When the top-end guys in your class are built like tight ends and run like slot receivers, you need more than flash. You need muscle. And that’s where the concern kicks in.
Enter Brian Baldinger. The man whose pinky tells war stories. Literally. Baldy’s not a dude who throws out soft takes. When he says, “The physical aspect to the game, I think might be a challenge for him [Hunter],” you listen. Even if you are Liam Coen, filled with belief. This is the same guy whose finger once got destroyed in Randy White’s jersey and became a permanent badge of NFL brutality.
“He’s conditioned to play 100-120 snaps. That’s not going to be a problem. But the physical aspect to the game, I think might be a challenge for him.”@BaldyNFL on Travis Hunter’s two-way potential at the NFL level. pic.twitter.com/6N8UM2Rjll
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) May 1, 2025
So yeah, Baldy saying Hunter might get tossed around? That means something. “Conditioned for 100-120 snaps,” sure. But being conditioned isn’t the same as being built to survive Sundays. When you pop on the tape—especially that Stanford game—it gets loud. Elic Ayomanor straight-up bullied Hunter. Pressed him. Moved him. Out-muscled him. You could’ve seen the rawness in him.
Speed, instincts, but not someone who wins physical matchups. He’s more nickel than outside lockdown. Baldy and other scouts peg him around 10-20 range, even slipping lower depending on the role. Slimmer A.J. Terrell? That’s the comp. Not bad, but not elite shutdown either.
Now, flip the script—at WR, it’s a different story. The Garrett Wilson comp? That hits. Smooth mover, sudden stops, sticky hands. He can be a team’s WR1 tomorrow if he just focuses on that side. But is Hunter going to? It depends on you’re asking because if you’re listening to the Heisman-winner then you’d know he believes he can.
But a wiser voice, say, John Harbaugh? Yeah, he is doubting it with conviction. “I don’t know if there’s enough hours in the day,” he said, talking about playing both ways full time. And he’s not wrong. NFL schemes aren’t college game plans with a few cool names. They’re chess boards that punish wrong moves, no matter how athletic the player.
Hunter’s a special athlete. That’s never been the debate. But if you’re drafting for strength and staying power in this league, the body matters. So does the brain. You can’t be in two places at once, and you sure as hell can’t survive playing both sides if 188 lbs isn’t enough to keep you upright. But that’s Liam Coen’s concerns, now. And he’s pretty clear on his vision for the Jags in 2025.
Liam Coen tells Travis Hunter & Co. to be ready
Travis Hunter lit up college football with 96 catches, over 1,250 yards, 15 touchdowns, four picks on defense, and a Heisman to top it off. And the cherry on the cake is the No.2 overall. But the Phase 1 is over with that draft pick. Now, the Phase 2, and the journey starts. And that’s when you hear Liam Coen talk, you realize the NFL isn’t just about numbers. It’s about showing up when it counts.
So, here we are, in the new Coen era, who didn’t hold back after his first draft as an HC. “Yeah, kind of about what I thought in a lot of ways,” Coen said, reflecting on draft weekend. “This is the first Super Bowl that’s to happen for us really. He [Hunter] was unbelievable.” That right there tells you how big this moment was. For Hunter. For Coen. As well as for a franchise trying to shed its worn-down armor.
But Coen didn’t stop at the rah-rah. He peeled the curtain back on what separates play-callers from program-builders. “The communication, the resilience, the ability to move around this draft and navigate it the way he [Gladstone] did… it was really cool to see.” He’s talking about GM James Gladstone, sure—but the message is for everyone in teal and black. The system’s in place. The standard is set. No free rides just because you’ve got a Heisman on your shelf.
And if you’re Travis Hunter? Get ready. Because Coen’s not putting you in a glass case labeled two-way unicorn. He’s expecting you to show up, dominate, and grow on both sides. “It’s really cool to see the guys, the players’ responses… because that’s what it’s all about.” Jacksonville’s not a finished product. Not even close. But they’re done talking about potential. Now it’s time to prove it.
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