Jaguars standout Travis Hunter Jr. demonstrated his full potential in the loss against Houston
When general manager James Gladstone moved to the top of the 2025 NFL Draft to select two-way standout Travis Hunter Jr., he did so with the belief that the Heisman Trophy winner would be able to contribute on both sides of the ball for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sunday’s game in London against the Houston Texans was perhaps the best glimpse yet of what that vision can be on an NFL field.
Hunter joined one of football’s smallest clubs as he both snared an interception and caught a touchdown pass. While the Jaguars ultimately fell short, losing to the Texans by a final score of 34-31, it gave Jaguars fans some hope that Hunter might be on the verge of breaking out on both sides of the football.
Hunter’s touchdown reception — his first of the season and just his second in the NFL — came early in the fourth quarter, and helped Jacksonville pull to within a field goal of the Texans. It came on a beautiful design with Hunter actually working out of the offensive backfield, getting isolated on a defender with a “two-way go,” and then cutting to the inside off the defender’s leverage. Trevor Lawrence hits him in the end zone, and the Jaguars are on the scoreboard once more:
Here is an even better look at the design, as you can see Hunter release out of the backfield, break inside of the defender’s outside leverage, and secure the throw while going to the turf for his first touchdown of the NFL season:
The Jacksonville two-way standout finished the day with four receptions for 59 yards and the touchdown, his best receiving day in the NFL.
But this also comes as his primary usage has been on the defensive side of the football. Last year, Jacksonville relied on Hunter more on the offensive side of the ball, as he logged 324 offensive snaps, compared with just 162 defensive snaps.
Entering Sunday’s game against the Texans, Hunter had just 21 offensive snaps compared to 249 defensive snaps, accounting for nearly 80% of Jacksonville’s plays on defense this season.
He secured his first NFL interception against the New England Patriots a few weeks ago, but his second came in a huge spot for Jacksonville.
In the end zone, on the very next drive after his touchdown reception:
The interception not only ended a Houston scoring threat, but gave the Jaguars a chance to tie or take the lead late in the game. Here is another look at Hunter’s interception of C.J. Stroud:
Jacksonville did tie the game on the ensuing possession, and while the Texans went on to win on the final play of the game, Sunday’s effort in London was exactly what Gladstone was hoping to see when he moved to the top of the draft a year ago to pick Hunter.
As for that history he made, Hunter became just the third player since the 1960s, and the first since Brian Dawkins in 2002, to both catch a touchdown and have an interception in the same game:
Jaguars fans now hope this is the start of something bigger, and perhaps even more history, from their second-year player.