Op-Ed: Travis Hunter disrespected by NFL teams who don't believe he's a two-way talent

There are many who need to accept that Colorado's star player is different

Deion Sanders Jr/ Well Off Media

Travis Hunter is special. He's built, wired, and motivated differently, and it seems Deion Sanders might be the only person with next-level football knowledge who understands that. Early on, the direct, albeit lazy, NFL comp for Hunter was Sanders. This is an important detail because Sanders is viewed as arguably the greatest professional athlete we’ve ever witnessed.

That's in large part because he is known as the best cover corner to date, who also played on offense and returned kicks. Not to mention, he was impactful as a professional baseball player with big moments in playoff and World Series games. However, what Sanders did not do, is play both ways, offense and defense equally from the time he was six-years-old. Playing more than defense was something "PrimeTime" was “able to do”, it was not something he always did. Consider Sanders' own words about Hunter from last April. 

“He may be not as fast, but intangibles and who he is, he’s better. He’s a better version at this age and stage. He really is – by far.”

The way Hunter plays is something that could likely become a Coach Prime staple. It was true when pundits attempted to predict Colorado's season opener at TCU, and again when suggesting Coach Prime wouldn’t be able to recruit with the established programs in the Power Five. Also, it was true when Shedeur made the transition to higher competition, and again when they try to project Travis Hunter as an NFL prospect.

You can’t hold him to preconceived notions because we've watched this play out before. It was the same reason why Sanders asked ESPN's Ed Werder if he believed after upsetting the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. It was a "prove them wrong" approach, because we already know what's about to happen. Except, this has never happened before.

While we can look to names like Sanders, Charles Woodson, Adoree Jackson, Devin Hester, Patrick Peterson, Mike Vrabel, Julian Edelman, CU’s own Kordell Stewart, Troy Brown, and others; none of them followed anywhere near the same path or trajectory as Hunter. Not a single one. In every single case, they were identified as being good-to-elite at one side of the ball, with an opportunity to be impactful on the other side ‘in spurts’.

Hunter has played both ways throughout every game and has grown up doing it at a reasonably similar level of success. He has been at this since first grade and doesn't know football any other way. In fact, he checks out if he's not out on the field at all times. When he went down with a lacerated liver, all he wanted to do was play. Firing off texts to Coach Prime saying they couldn't keep him out and he wasn't going to take 'no' for and answer. "Saucy T" didn’t start doing it because of a team need on one side of the ball. He has literally been doing this his entire football career.

The largest elephant in the room comes from NFL players projecting their own experience onto Hunter, as if they are comparing apples to apples, when it is clear they are not. It’s an easy conclusion to come to. No player in the history of the league has ever done it, therefore it must be ill-advised. The common narrative has been too much is ramped up when you get to the league. Maybe he can do it in college, but never the NFL. But again, the issue with that gets lost in what's the difference between the two levels. 

For Hunter, It’s not daunting because he has met and exceeded that challenge at every level. The vast majority of players who've gone both ways on a part-time basis did so for snaps, not series. No one in the modern history of the NFL has played the majority of snaps throughout a season at two positions. Travis has been doing it the entire time. Following the TCU game, the recently retired J.J. Watt was asked about Travis’ snap count and if it is at all feasible in the NFL. The future Hall-of-Famer did give the initial response that would become commonplace, but then offered up a twist on it that should be noted:

“You can do it sparingly, but there’s no way you can do it full time," Watt said. "But, if it's going to happen, it’ll be from a guy Deion coaches.”

Watt’s comments are the closest to being reasonable of anyone who chose to speak on this topic from the perspective of a former player. Yet, notice how Watt did not close the door. Sanders was the closest to doing it then, and he’s now coaching a guy who can actually do it full-time on the field.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was less open to the idea and much more emphatic about what needs to happen with Hunter in his flawed opinion. While I’m sure his intentions came from a good place, his actual comments were interpreted somewhat disrespectful. Yet, after McCoy’s comments, Travis would go on to miss a month of games and still go on to win the Paul Hornung Award, given to college football's most versatile player. 

Not sustainable, huh? It has also been exactly 25 years since the winner of the same award had even 40 receptions on offense as a predominantly defensive player. That was Georgia's Champ Bailey, who went on to a Hall of Fame career. Hunter had 57 receptions with over 700 receiving yards and five touchdowns in nine games. Yet, McCoy was rather emphatic that Hunter cannot continue to play this way and be successful.

"I said it once Imma say it again, Travis playing entirely too many snaps," McCoy said. "He either has to pick a side or cut back. 1 or 2 games that's cool. But practice plus games playing both sides of the ball. Naw, man. It’s too much. Can't maximize the athlete like that."

It should also be noted that McCoy was making at least one false assumption. Hunter does not play both ways all game, then practice both ways every day. Coach Prime makes Hunter take days off as to not overload him. He doesn't enjoy when Sanders does this, but his game load and practice load are adjusted to ensure he does not burn out. Here’s an excerpt from a Coach Prime appearance on FS1’s Undisputed from last September to support that.

“So this kid was born like that. I told him last week, look man, you’re resting. I don’t want to see you practicing until Friday. Travis was on the field Thursday trying to go both ways. I said, “didn’t I just tell you I don’t want you practicing?” So this week I said Dude you’re out until Wednesday. We practiced on Sunday, if you didn’t play 60 snaps. Monday is a day off. We have film study and reports. We practice Tuesday, but I don’t want to see him on the field until Wednesday because I understand the toll and what it takes to go play both ways consistently and mentally and psychologically and physically. I understand that. So, I give him a couple days off, because I know what I could count on Saturday. He’s gonna be there.” 

The next player to highlight with thoughts Hunter’s snap count came from Patrick Peterson, who wishes he could’ve done what "Saucy T" is doing. The former LSU standout joined Bryant McFadden on the 'All Things Covered' Podcast, where they spoke at length about Hunter and if his level of play was sustainable long-term. Before getting to Peterson’s answer, McFadden made sure to remind him he couldn’t pull off 120 snaps like Hunter because he was constantly cramping up in the Bayou.

“I would definitely have wanted to play both ways. I wish Coach Prime was in college football when I was coming up," Peterson said. "As a defensive player, that’s all I did in high school and little league. I always endured the next challenge. There’s no question I would’ve wanted to do it. But I had assignments on defense at LSU. You know in college; you’re playing 90 plays minimum. So, it would have to be in spurts, but I definitely would’ve loved the opportunity to play both ways.”

Perhaps the most convincing argument comes from a guy who knows how to evaluate talent. He just so happens to have joined Coach Prime's staff in Boulder. Devin Rispress is the former recruiting guru from Florida A&M, where he was named FCS Recruiter of the Year. Rispress has some things to say regarding Hunter and the “can’t play both ways like this” narrative. 

"I argued with people all last year, they were saying Travis Hunter couldn't play both ways and I told them some are different. I witnessed him in person run 18-100 yd sprints without breaking a sweat. He's HIM, We're HIM"

I'll say it again, Hunter is just different. Playing both ways is not something he decided to try, and respectfully, he doesn’t know how to play just one side of the ball. The saying “Dance with the girl that brought you” comes to mind here. If this is what Hunter has always been, and why Sanders recruited him for both positions, then why on earth would you try to alter his game. You get what you pay for and NFL scouts should be view Hunter like Vanessa Bryant's Lambo. A truly one-of-a-kind machine that is different from and built to outperform the rest. 

The fact of the matter is Hunter cannot be compared to player who once upon a time dreamed of playing both ways. The jump from college to the NFL is significant, but he's ready to take that step. Will he face an increase in what is needed to be successful at that level? Absolutely. But if Hunter has made that jump every time since youth league, what's so different? Why would NFL scouts or general managers presume that Hunter is incapable of handling multiple assignments the next level? The short answer is they shouldn’t. 

You've got to understand not everyone needs to come in a box. Hunter is everything as advertised. A two-way, all-game player. And really at the root of it, a pure athlete. He’s that now and will be that at the next level. If an NFL franchise thinks they are drafting Hunter to play a single position, they are wasting one of the best talents to grace the field in generations, if not ever. 

Hunter is doing something most of us have never seen before. Embrace it and enjoy the ride. Stop putting constraints on him because he’s doing something uncommon. Now, if in time, the workload appears to be too much and his production suffers because of it, we can talk about focusing on one position over the other. Until then, let him change the game. 

For the immediate future, Hunter is the best all-around player in college football. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that. Whichever NFL team drafts him in 2025 is likely getting a franchise altering player. Stop trying to handcuff what Hunter can be just because it hasn’t successfully been done before. Remember, he is HIM.