Jaguars coach Liam Coen defends usage of 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter

The Jacksonville Jaguars are openly defending their usage of 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Coach Liam Coen said Friday that Hunter’s sole focus is on winning games — and nothing else. Coen added that neither of them is concerned about how little Hunter has played on offense this season or that he has shared defensive snaps with fellow cornerbacks Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis.

“He cares about winning. That’s what he cares about,” Coen said. “And all the other stuff, the reps, where we picked him, I don’t (care) and neither does he. We care about winning, and that’s it.”

The Jaguars (2-1) play at Cincinnati (2-1) on Sunday, with Hunter returning to the place where he was flagged for a costly pass interference penalty on fourth down in the fourth quarter last year that kept alive the Bengals’ winning drive.

“We gave him a chance to be able to call that call,” Hunter said Thursday. “I just got to put myself in the right position the whole game.”

Jacksonville gave up two first-round draft picks, a second-rounder and a fourth to move up three spots and draft Hunter second overall in 2025. The Jaguars also received fourth- and sixth-round selections in return from Cleveland.

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone raised eyebrows by saying Hunter has “the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport.”

It hasn’t happened yet. Hunter has played sparingly on offense this season — 15 snaps in three games — mostly because the Jaguars traded for Jakobi Meyers late last year and have seen Parker Washington take over the No. 1 receiver role.

Rookie Josh Cameron also has been so impressive that he appears to be on the verge of supplanting Brian Thomas Jr. as the team’s No. 3 receiver.

Between those changes and playing more with two tight ends, there’s not a lot left for Hunter on that side of the ball.

He has, however, made progress on defense, breaking up a pass in Denver in Week 2 and then intercepting his first pass last week against New England.

“It’s just a mental mindset,” Hunter said. “You got to be able to see the ball and go get it. You just got to have that attitude about it.”

Hunter played more on offense than defense last season and was set to become the team’s featured receiver when he tore a ligament in his right knee in practice and missed the rest of the season. He watched organized team activities from afar and didn’t gain full clearance until the start of training camp.

“Is he perfect? No. Are any of our players perfect? No,” Jaguars executive vice president Tony Boselli said on his radio show last week. “He’s one of the 53 that are trying to win us football games, and he’s doing a heck of a job. We love him.

“We’re glad Travis Hunter is on our team, the same we’re glad DaVon Hamilton is on our team, the same we’re glad Trevor Lawrence is our quarterback.”

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here