“Is Trevor Lawrence the Guy?”: Pat McAfee Wonders as Travis Hunter Has His First Massive NFL Highlight

Even though his professional debut is still months away, Travis Hunter is already looking like the franchise-altering player that the Jacksonville Jaguars are expecting him to be. While taking reps as a DB during the team’s OTAs this week, Hunter managed to produce a highlight-reel worthy play that saw him nearly come away with the interception.

Having already generated millions of views, the clip itself is just the latest in a series of encouraging posts that the franchise has made depicting the athleticism of their second overall pick.

On the latest episode of the Pat McAfee Show, the NFL kicker turned social media sensation noted that Hunter is proving to be everything that was included in his initial scouting reports. In light of various personnel reporting that Hunter is a one-of-a-kind prospect both on and off the field, ESPN’s flagship personality couldn’t help but commend the organization for making the choice to trade up and draft him.

“This guy is a really good player, he’s a generational talent. He can play on both sides. His cardiovascular is better than everybody else, seemingly, in the NFL… Even if he wasn’t the person that he is, they would deal with it because of the amount of football talent that he has. But add on the fact that he’s considered the perfect teammate, the perfect football guy… What a home run for Jacksonville.”

Confident that the Jaguars now have one of the most impressive, young duos in the league in Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr., McAfee suggests that the success of the Jaguars’ offense now rests solely on the shoulders of Trevor Lawrence. The front office has given everything from a $55-million salary to an arsenal of young talent to target on Sundays.

Simply put, the only doubt left to solve in Jacksonville is whether or not Lawrence is “the guy.” Thankfully, for both Lawrence and the Jaguars, the odds appear to be in his favor.

When accounting for opponents’ 2024 win percentages, Jacksonville boasts the 24th most difficult schedule of any team in the league. Meaning that, in addition to being given sufficient firepower, Lawrence has now been presented with a set of lackluster opponents.

C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans figure to once again be their primary competition for the AFC South title. Should Lawrence hope to silence those whispering trade talks, a regular-season win over Stroud, something that he hasn’t managed to find since November of 2023, would go a long way.

Then again, considering that the Jaguars are paying him top-tier money, perhaps anything short of a playoff berth would be a disappointment for Lawrence at this point in his career. With major paydays come major expectations.

Coming into the league, the Clemson product was heralded as being one of the best college prospects in recent history. If he can manage to reignite the fire that made him a national champion, then the Jaguars may finally prove to be a surprise team this season after all.