Hunter on Increasing Defensive Reps in Week 2: "I have to be ready…"

Sep 11, 2025 at 04:55 PM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars on Thursday practiced at the Miller Electric Center.

The Jaguars (1-0) will play the Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) in a 2025 Week 2 game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sunday. A look at Thursday around the Jaguars – with offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter speaking to the media:

Hunter may get more defensive repetitions this week – and if that's happening against one of the better offensive teams in the NFL, that's OK.

"I feel like every week is a challenge for me," Hunter said. "I have to be ready for whatever they change up on the opposite team. I feel like every week is going to be a challenge for me, especially this week because it's my first time getting more reps there."

Hunter, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, played 42 snaps offensively and six defensively in a Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Head Coach Liam Coen said this week he expects Hunter's role to expand moving forward.

Hunter practiced extensively on both offense and defense throughout training camp and preseason.

"He definitely puts another guy out there with ball skills, attention to detail and a physical style of play," Campanile said of Hunter. "We're excited with his progress at this point on defense."

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner while playing cornerback and receiver at Colorado, caught six passes for 33 yards Sunday.

"It was exciting to see him out there," Udinksi said. "He attacked the game plan, the preparation, with great tenacity. It's a lot to manage – not just as a rookie – going into a season opener, trying to learn a new system on offense, a new system on defense, totally new operation from the way the game goes, different TV timeouts from college compared to NFL, different rules … all that stuff.

"He's another guy [Sunday] who did well but has room to improve like the rest of us do – coaches, players included. He'll continue to get better and better because of the way he works."

Campanile on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow: "He's definitely a challenge."

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen this week said that's true of the entire Bengals offense, which features not only Burrow but first-tier wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

"We're about to play against a very explosive offense, an offense that likes to throw the ball but has a good running back (Chase Brown)," Hines-Allen said. "Stopping the run is Priority No. 1. Us up front, it's a big game for us."

The Jaguars' respect for Burrow as one of the NFL's top quarterbacks has been evident this week, with Head Coach Liam Coen calling Burrow's ability to create "elite."

"The accuracy, the pinpoint of it, his ability to put balls in tight spaces, give those guys opportunities," Coen said. "He knows them (the Bengals' wide receivers) so well and what they do well and how they want the ball thrown to them.

"It's clear they have chemistry even when last week's output wasn't maybe as much as they've been used to, you can still see that there were some moments where it was like, 'Woah, that was pretty good.' It's a huge challenge for us.

"I've got a ton of respect for [Bengals Head Coach] Zac [Taylor] and what he's been able to do there over the years and Joe's a special player."

Campanile called Burrow an "incredibly accurate thrower and just a tough guy."

"I see that in the way he's played over the years and just watching him over the years," Campanile said. "He's a very accurate thrower, hangs in the pocket and a really bright guy. He knows what to get into from a protection perspective and where the ball should go, so it will definitely be a challenge."