Buffs Beat

Deion Sanders' Strong Opinion On Travis Hunter Playing Both Ways In NFL

Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is rated as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 1 defensive back on multiple 2025 NFL Draft boards. Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders addresses if Hunter should play both ways in the NFL. What makes Hunter worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick?

Kyron Samuels

Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is congratulated for his touchdown by head coach Deion Sanders in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is congratulated for his touchdown by head coach Deion Sanders in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Travis Hunter is a once-in-lifetime football talent. In April, he’ll be one of the first names off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Colorado Buffaloes player is ranked as high as No. 1 at two different positions, cornerback and wide receiver. The debate rings on about which position he’s best suited for at the NFL level, but Hunter, and players like NFL legend Travis Kelce, think that playing both in the NFL is highly possible.

Hunter is as unique of a prospect that’s ever entered the draft, but is that enough to make him worthy of the No. 1 overall pick? He’s checked all the boxes needed and finds himself at the top of boards, but what truly separates Hunter from the rest? Is it truly possible for him to not only attempt to, but succeed as a two-way player amongst the best football players on the planet? Deion Sanders thinks Hunter can.  

"You playing the NFL game, and it's much slower than the college game. The college game is no-huddle. It's tempo. We have plays after plays after plays after plays. The pro game is so darn slow. You go into the huddle, you take your time, you call another play.” Coach Deion Sanders said on the Dan Patrick Show. “Not only that, you can't touch them, you can't hit them in the secondary, so the risk of being injured is not as such as the college football game, the pro game protects you even more.” 

"Why not?" Sanders said when Patrick asked if he could play both roles full time.

It’s a great point and one that hasn’t been made before or since that statement. Hunter’s snap count was otherworldly in college, but as Sanders alluded to, the tempo at which the college game is played far exceeds the NFL speed and that was arguably the most impressive part of Hunter’s game. Couple that with the fact that as an offensive player, Hunter would likely see much more man coverage in the NFL than he ever did in college, that could greatly benefit Hunter’s ability to get open and create separation.

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Defensively, depending on the system, Hunter could be in a zone-heavy scheme that allows him to play far less bump and run and much more of a read and react, ballhawk style of football. Hunter has rare skills, but the resolve and mental fortitude supersedes them all. The conditioning is based off hard work and genetics, but the belief that playing both sides of the ball at this elite level is something purely from within. It’s what truly makes Hunter different from the pack. 

"When he went out there at receiver and did his thing, then went from receiver to defensive back and shut it down. I knew right then it was something special…It's one thing to watch highlights of a young man in high school, it's another to see it in person. And when you know the game, you know athleticism, you know what I know, you come where I come from, you know when you see something that is abnormal. This kid, from day one, has been abnormal with an appetite to dominate." said Deion Sanders of Travis Hunter’s first practice at Jackson State. 

Say what you want about the coach Deion Sanders, but there’s one thing that’s undeniable, the man knows talent when he sees it. Beyond likening Travis Hunter to himself, he’s been around and played with, and against some of the greatest football players to ever play the game. The regard in which he holds Hunter speaks volumes. Even more unique about Hunter, his play on the field speaks louder than any endorsement ever could.

Selecting Travis Hunter No. 1 overall, especially in what most consider a down year for blue chip talent, wouldn’t be looked at as anything but a prudent decision. The best part about drafting a player like Hunter is that you’re quite literally getting two elite prospects. If he doesn’t succeed as a cornerback, he has all the traits for a great wide receiver. The inverse is also true. Best case scenario, you get an all-time player. 

The Tennessee Titans have the first-overall selection in the draft.

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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