Michael DiRoccoSep 7, 2025, 07:44 PM ET
- Michael DiRocco is an NFL Nation reporter at ESPN and covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN and the Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Travis Hunter was one of the last players to walk into the Jacksonville Jaguars locker room after their 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He wanted a few more minutes to soak up the aftermath of his first NFL game.
Hunter slapped hands with fans and signed autographs, celebrating not only the Jaguars' sixth victory in their past 24 games and the first under new coach Liam Coen, but that he played both sides of the ball against the Panthers.
"I was just excited and ready to go out and win with my team and just bring the energy," Hunter said "Like I say every day, every time you're interviewing me, I'm trying to bring the energy, bring the guys up, and make sure we stay true to ourselves and just be the team we know we can be."
Though Hunter didn't put up monster stats against the Panthers -- six catches for 33 yards; one tackle -- his two-way debut was notable because he played 44 snaps on offense and six on defense, becoming the second player in the past 10 years to play at least 30 offensive snaps and five defensive snaps in the same game. (Scott Matlock did it last season at fullback and defensive line for the Los Angeles Chargers.)
That snap breakdown was the plan for Week 1, Coen said, because Hunter missed the second preseason game (none of the starters played in the final preseason contest) and four camp practices because of an upper-body injury. Coen said Hunter will be more involved defensively as the season progresses.
"There was a lot of different kind of coverage changes in the back end for us with some of [the Panthers'] formations, adjustments, [and] it was a lot that those guys had to handle defensively," Coen said. "So, it was maybe a little bit less for him this game. I think it will only continue to evolve and go more."
Hunter said that he was happy with the way he played, though he admitted he might have had his first touchdown had Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn not made a leaping, one-handed interception.
"I did my job. That was the main focus, me doing my job," Hunter said. "I did what they asked me to do, and I know I could do more and I know I could do better."
Coen agreed on all points.
"I thought he played hard on offense," Coen said. "I thought he played fast. He had some good catches, ran the right routes. I can only see it going and expanding from here."
Hunter and Trevor Lawrence nearly hooked up on another deep pass, and the Jaguars quarterback said Hunter's debut would have been even better had Lawrence connected on those throws.
"He was great," Lawrence said. "Had some big catches, obviously. You know, I think he's a weapon for us, and he's going to continue to get better and better. He's a matchup in space, great with the ball in his hands.
"[Hunter] could have had more out there. I felt like I could have given him a few more opportunities on some of the ones I missed, but he had a good day today, and we just got to keep building off of it."
Another notable aspect of Hunter's debut: He did it with a new hairstyle, cutting off the dreads he had had for a long time in favor of a much closer cut.
"It was just time," said Hunter, who spent a few moments pregame with his grandmother after she made the trip up from Boynton Beach, Florida. "Time to let it go. New me, new person. Welcome to a new chapter in my life. Just chop it off."
