Travis Hunter was on the wrong end of a highlight play.
Travis Hunter's NFL Preseason Debut Marred by Embarrassing On-Field Moment originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter had quite a memorable preseason debut in the NFL. However, while there is plenty to be happy about, there are also certain things that Hunter would probably want the fans to forget.
In the Jaguars' 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Hunter played on both offense and defense. As a wide receiver, the two-way star out of Colorado recorded two catches and nine yards in 11 snaps. On defense, he featured in eight snaps, albeit with zero targets as a cornerback.
Hunter Gets Embarrassed on Defense
Perhaps the most memorable moment for Hunter on the day, however, was a lowlight. Early in the first quarter of the game, while playing on defense, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner ended up on the wrong end of a play from rookie running back Kaleb Johnson.
Johnson, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, stiff-armed Hunter, who was attempting to tackle him, and pushed the Jaguars newcomer to the ground.
Kaleb Johnson with a little welcome to the NFL moment
— Scoot (@slastnightsgame) August 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/G9pL12bAVJ
Sure enough, the moment quickly trended online, with many viewers trolling Hunter.
"Kaleb Johnson dribbled Travis Hunter's head on the ground," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "Since Kaleb got to dribble t hunter don’t think he will be 2 way for very long."
"Kaleb Johnson Putting Travis Hunter in The Dirt," a fan added, along with a laughing emoji.
"Roman Wilson took Travis Hunter for a ride, and Kaleb Johnson left him diving at air on back to back plays," a viewer noted.
A fifth social media user laughed and wrote, "TRAVIS HUNTER STIFF SRMED BY KALEB LMAOO."
"Kaleb Johnson making Travis Hunter miss but yall said bro was Najee Harris 2.0," a poster further trolled Hunter.
What's Next for Hunter?
Sure enough, fans shouldn't read too much into a preseason game. Hunter's performance on both sides may be lacking, and he even got embarrassed, but it should be remembered that he only played for a brief period in his first pro game.
As Hunter gains more experience, expectations are high that he will be able to be as impactful as he was in college.
The Jaguars play the New Orleans Saints on August 17. It remains to be seen if Hunter will get more playing time—and whether he'll be able to produce more as he gets his feet wet at the NFL level.
Related: Travis Hunter Sends Strong Message To Teams Hours Before NFL Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football