Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter has experienced an unexpected benefit from adding ten pounds of muscle in the offseason: increased speed and agility. Hunter, who began the offseason program aiming to improve his physical conditioning for his second NFL season, initially expressed concern that the added weight might hinder his movement.
"So me just coming in and putting on them pounds, I was scared at first," Hunter said. "I’m like, ‘Oh dang, I’ve never played at this weight. I’m going to feel heavy. I’m not going to be able to do what I do.’"
However, his fears were unfounded. After months of dedicated work in both the weight room and on the field, Hunter reported feeling lighter on his feet. He recently clocked a speed of 22.6 miles per hour during a workout at the Jaguars' facility. This speed is among the fastest recorded by NFL NextGen Stats since tracking began in 2016, with only Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert achieving similar speeds.
Hunter, now listed at 185 pounds, is targeting 23 mph as his next speed goal. Jaguars head coach Liatm Coen noted Hunter's own observation, stating, "He made a comment to me on the grass the other day that when he’s running, he feels lighter. So you put on ten pounds of muscle and he feels lighter. I mean, that’s a good thing, right?"
This marks Hunter's first full training camp participation since undergoing surgery in November to repair a torn right LCL, an injury that ended his rookie season after seven games. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile observed Hunter's progress, noting, "He’s getting back in the flow, back in the swing of things, and he looks good. ... I think he really put his best foot forward in the weight room as he was recovering from a lower-body injury. And really built up his upper body and everything. So he just looks really physical."