It’s an unsettling feeling for Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
On several occasions during the fourth training camp practice, he watched a white No. 12 jersey lunge toward a pass and deflect it to the ground. It’s probably the opposite feeling from the one he gets when the teal No. 12 jersey comes away with receptions from Trevor Lawrence.
Two-way player Travis Hunter spent the day with Jacksonville’s defense for the second consecutive practice.
He logged three pass break ups and flashed more on the defensive side than in any other media open practice to this point.
And it caused a bittersweet feeling for Udinski every time he made a play.
“It is miserable seeing him make plays on the ball during practice, but it’s a team game,” Udinski said jokingly at the conclusion of practice. “It is exciting to see him make plays and you see the ball skills that show up on defense. Same thing translates to offense.”
Hunter spent the first two days of camp with Jacksonville’s offense. He’s spent the following two days of camp with the defense.
On days when he’s with the opposite side of the ball, he’ll use the special teams period to work with coaches and stay current. And he spends extra time meeting with coaches and doing work in the classroom.
Head coach Liam Coen said the team has Hunter’s schedule down to the minute. Udinski gave some insight to how that’s worked between him and the defensive coaches.
“Defense has been awesome to work with. The staff has been unbelievable,” Udinski said. “It’s a lot to manage and a lot to juggle, but he’s been a real pro at handling it. It’s a long training camp. So he knows we have a long way to go, but so far, it’s been, been a lot of fun.”
As far as Hunter’s on-field progression, Udinski has been impressed with the strides he’s continued to make. He noted the progression that he’s made in his technique as a receiver, but also the mental growth he’s made.
Hunter is noticeably a more fluid route runner than when he first arrived in Jacksonville and has displayed a better understanding of the offensive playbook.
Plus, the seemingly endless energy reserve that he has continues to blow away Udinski.
“That’s unbelievably rare. I don’t know that I’ve seen [anybody] with that level of conditioning before.” Udinski said of Hunter’s conditioning. “He’s expected to do something that I have not seen, that none of us have seen before. But it is, once again, a testament to his work, his training in the heat, in the summer, to be able to come out here and do this.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars OC Grant Udinski on Travis Hunter’s defensive reps: ‘It’s the ultimate bittersweet’
Reporting by Juston Lewis, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
