Travis Hunter insisted that he was going to change the NFL.The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner was also adamant that he could do what had never been done before in the modern era of pro football.Travis Hunter failed to live up to his big wordsgetty“You’ve never seen a player like me,” Hunter told the Pivot Podcast.NFL followers still haven’t seen the ‘unicorn’ Hunter, and it’s fair to question if Jacksonville Jaguars fans ever will.First year big step backward for JagsThere’s no way around it in Week 11 of the 2025 season — Hunter was a total bust as an NFL rookie, and the Jaguars look as lost as ever after giving up multiple draft picks to acquire Hunter, including a 2026 first-rounder. “Teams are going to be going after him,” Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce said after the 2025 draft on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast.“They’re going to try and make his day miserable. If he plays corner, they’re going to run deep balls at him all day. “They’re going to run the wide receivers, just take off on him all day, just to try to get him tired. Why wouldn’t you just attack him that way?”Hunter’s rookie season officially ended on Tuesday after he underwent surgery on his right knee.The 6ft 1in and 185lb receiver/corner had his lateral collateral ligament repaired, and is expected to return to full football activities in six months. That leaves the Jaguars — not Hunter — with a franchise-impacting decision to make before the former Colorado Buffaloes star next steps on an NFL practice field.Easy to miss Hunter as a rookie Hunter was a disappointing first-year wide receiver and often invisible on the field.The Jaguars traded with Cleveland to take Hunter at No. 2 in the 2025 NFL DraftgettytalkSPORT reacts ... Lawrence is biggest issueTrevor Lawrence ranks 28th in the NFL in quarterback rating (41.9).That’s the biggest problem for the Jaguars, who’ve lost their early momentum under rookie head coach Liam Coen and just blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to the Houston Texans.Sure, Jacksonville’s receivers continue to drop too many balls.But that doesn’t fully explain Lawrence underperforming year after year.He’s making $275m to be one of the best QBs in the NFL.Even with a healthy Travis Hunter, Lawrence was again one of the worst and most frustrating quarterbacks in the league.How long will Jacksonville keep buying into Lawrence a franchise face?Brian T. Smith, Senior US Sports Reporter As a corner, he only recorded 15 combined tackles in seven games (four starts), and failed to record an interception, sack, forced fumble or fumble recovery.Hunter could still become the best receiver on the Jaguars’ roster or an All-Pro cornerback.But Hunter’s first pro challenge is still the same, seven months after Jacksonville stunned the NFL by trading up to No. 2 — being good at a single position in the pros. “There are players that you can target and acquire who alter the trajectory of a game. There are players that you can target and acquire that alter the trajectory of a football team,” said rookie Jaguars general manager James Gladstone.“There are very few, and it’s rare to be able to target and prioritize a player who can alter the sport itself. And Travis is somebody that we view has the potential to do that.”Jaguars overhyped ‘unicorn’ from Colorado Hunter didn’t ‘alter’ anything as a rookie, other than his theoretical Hall of Fame trajectory. Ranking NFL's best teams 19. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)Jacksonville has a better chance of playing in Orlando next year than winning the Super Bowl this season.talkSPORT ranks the best teams in the NFL right nowThe Browns — who rarely win anything — also claimed the first round of the trade, since Mason Graham (No. 5 overall pick) initially has been a better defender and Cleveland still has a 2026 first-round pick to use.There’s also some serious irony in Shedeur Sanders, Hunter’s big-name teammate at Colorado, still being stuck on Cleveland’s bench, and Deion Sanders going 3-7 in his first year without the duo. The Jags have remained steadfast that giving up so much for Hunter was the best move for the organization.“Travis Hunter is a young player that the Jaguars traded up to get because they thought he was effectively going to change the math for them and be something like two players, or one and three quarter players,” NFL Insider Dan Graziano exclusively told talkSPORT. “So they feel like they can use him on defense, use him on offense, but a very young player and a very raw player. From an NFL standpoint, you see what he can do when he gets the ball in his hands. You see what he can do on the field, the catches he makes, those kinds of things.”Hunter needs big bounce back in 2026 Hunter catching 28 passes (45 targets) for 298 yards and a touchdown barely made a dent in the NFL this season.His best game as a receiver also came in a Week 7 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium, which saw Matthew Stafford throw five touchdowns for the Los Angeles Rams in a 35-7 trouncing and the majority of Hunter’s yardage arrive in garbage time.Hunter’s self-confidence is admirable.If you don’t believe in yourself, who will — right? But the Jags allowed an unproven rookie to dictate his NFL roles this season, which means that Jacksonville (5-4) is still learning hard lessons about team culture and sacrifice. Hunter will eventually be a draft-trade win for Jacksonville if he becomes elite at a single position.He was a forgettable bust as a rookie and never came close to months of historic ‘unicorn’ hype — much of it driven by Hunter himself. 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