Travis Hunter wants to become the NFL’s Shohei Ohtani, and, if it’s up to his head coach, he just may become that player.
The two-way Colorado star parlayed his offensive and defensive skills into becoming the Heisman Trophy winner, playing well over 1,000 snaps this season.
He also won both the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver and the Bednarik Award as the defensive player of the year.
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Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter gestures after pulling in a pass for a first down in the second half against Oklahoma State Nov. 29, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Experts have him playing cornerback in the NFL. But after Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on offense, Deion Sanders says whoever drafts him better let him put his abilities to full use.
“He’s gonna do that, or they shouldn’t draft him. Don’t do that,” Sanders told “The Rich Eisen Show” this week.
“And I’m gonna make sure of that. Don’t draft him if you’re not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball.”
Cornerback Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes strikes the Heisman pose after an interception against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
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Sanders said a team could be “creative” with Hunter.
“He don’t have to do what we did with him here and play every snap,” Sanders added.
Hunter played 670 snaps on offense and 686 snaps on defense while also playing 24 special teams snaps. As a corner, Hunter had 31 tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions, anchoring Colorado’s defense.
Despite projecting as a cornerback in the NFL, he might have actually been better on offense this year.
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is congratulated for a touchdown by head coach Deion Sanders in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. (Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports)
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Hunter is expected to be an early selection in April’s NFL Draft, and there’s a chance his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, could be the top pick.
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