The Jacksonville Jaguars gathered for Day 1 of mandatory minicamp on June 9, and the most electric moment of the afternoon happened before a single snap of 11-on-11.
Travis Hunter, the second-year two-way star whose rookie season was cut short by an LCL injury in October 2025, stepped into a speed test and lit up the radar gun at 22.6 miles per hour.
Head coach Liam Coen shared the number after practice, calling it a significant milestone in Hunter's recovery. The 22.6 mph reading isn't just a rehab data point--it's a statement.
"He is ahead of schedule," Coen said. The Jaguars have kept Hunter limited in practice, holding him out of live team drills. But the speed test changes the conversation. A player who can touch 22.6 mph in a controlled rehab setting is not a player still searching for his explosiveness. He is a player who has found it again.
Hunter suffered the LCL injury seven games into his debut season. In those seven games, he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown while also logging significant defensive snaps at cornerback. The Jaguars drafted him in the first round in 2025 with the hope he could eventually be a full-time two-way player, but the injury forced the team, and Hunter, to recalibrate.
He spent the offseason in the weight room.
"Weight room was my best friend, being able to let out some anger," Hunter said earlier this month.
He described a rehab process that involved grinding through 30 to 40 reps in 15-minute sessions on the JUGS machine, doing everything he could to stay sharp without being on the field for live reps.
"It's super important because I can't go outside and get live reps," Hunter said. "I got to get back on the field first."
That next step is now in sight. Coen indicated that Hunter could be a full participant well before training camp opens in late July. That timeline would put him on track for a normal ramp-up period entering the 2026 season--a season in which the Jaguars offense has a chance to be one of the most dangerous in the AFC.
Hunter's return runs parallel to another recovery story in the Jacksonville backfield. Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who served as the primary backup to Travis Etienne Jr. last season, underwent a procedure on his left foot but is expected to be fully cleared for the start of training camp, according to Coen.
Rodriguez carried 112 times for 500 yards and six touchdowns for the Commanders in 2025 before signing with Jacksonville, and he carved out a role as a physical, between-the-tackles complement to Etienne. The foot procedure is not expected to linger into the regular season. The Jaguars, per Coen, are not concerned.
Together, the two injury updates give Jacksonville a healthier picture than it had at the end of OTAs. Hunter's number, of course, is the headline.
Twenty-two-point-six miles per hour is not a normal rehab marker. That's game speed. That's breakaway speed. For a player who has not taken a live NFL snap since October, it's a sign that the athletic ability that made him a generational prospect has not dimmed.
The Jaguars are being cautious. Hunter remains on a limited practice program. He is not yet cleared for team drills. But with the speed test in hand and the summer schedule ahead, the organization can look at the July opening of training camp with legitimate optimism.
What that means for the depth chart is still unfolding. The Jaguars added Jakobi Meyers in the offseason, joining Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington in a wide receiver room that also includes slot options like Austin Trammell and rookie Josh Cameron. Washington, coming off a 58-catch, 847-yard, five-touchdown season in 2025, spoke about the offense's potential.
"This offense is so dynamic and we saw so much growth take place," Washington said. "Trevor feels good. So we feel good."
Add a healthy Hunter to that mix, and the Jaguars suddenly have a versatile weapon who stresses defenses both as a receiver and as a potential cornerback. Coen has not tipped his hand on how he plans to use Hunter in 2026--whether he will truly log snaps on both sides of the ball or primarily focus on offense with situational defensive packages. Hunter made it clear he wants to play both. But first, he has to get back on the field.
That moment is no longer a distant date on a calendar. The speed test proves it. The coach said it. The player feels it.
"I feel a lot stronger," Hunter said. "I can burn out 30, 40 reps in 15 minutes every time I go in there."
The numbers back him up. The next step is putting those reps into live action. For Jaguars fans, that day is coming sooner than anyone expected three months ago.