Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter is considered to be a generational talent and the best overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The only problem is that nobody knows exactly which position he’ll play in the NFL.
Hunter thrived as both a wide receiver and cornerback under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who allowed the 21-year-old to play 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps in his final collegiate season. He won the Biletnikoff award winner for being the best college wide receiver, the Bednarik award for being the best college defensive player, and the Heisman Trophy for being the best overall player in college football.
Hunter has been adamant about continuing to play both sides of the ball, even going as far as saying he’d rather not play football at all than only play one side of the ball. While there’s little doubt that Hunter’s skillset will translate to the next level, there are skeptics who believe that playing both sides won’t be feasible in the NFL.
John Harbaugh provided a reality check for Travis Hunter’s two-way dreams
During a pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh weighed in and provided a reality check for Hunter.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how they do it wherever he goes,” Harbaugh said. “To say you’re going to be completely immersed in everything there is to know on offense and everything there is to know on defense, I don’t know if there’s enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that and have every detail locked down. But you certainly can do it, I would think, on one side of the ball and have some sort of a package on the other side of the ball, which my guess is how the team will do it wherever he goes. I assume we’ll be playing against him, so we’re about to find out how that team does it.”
Hunter’s talent allowed him to thrive on both sides in college, but the talent gap is marginal at the professional level. Instead, players separate themselves in the details and by mastering the mental aspect of the game.
Plenty of college stars have struggled to adjust to the speed of the league, and wide receivers or cornerbacks rarely shine in their rookie season. Finding a fit and utilizing Hunter properly could prove to be detrimental if handled poorly, but he could also become a once-in-a-lifetime player who can dominant on both ends if developed correctly.
If Hunter plays wide receiver, it would limit his opportunities to play defense in situational packages, especially since secondaries rely heavily on cohesion, communication and chemistry. The most feasible scenario would be to start Hunter as a cornerback and then install situational offensive packages based on his comfort level. Plenty of defensive players in the NFL have played in offensive packages, including Sanders, J.J. Watt and Mike Vrabel.
While Hunter’s stamina and durability have been astounding, NFL teams may not want to expose him to the additional risk of injury and spread him out too thin as a rookie. Hunter will need his snap count maintained — especially early in his career — to make sure he’s mastering one primary position, but he should be able to find a way on the field in situational packages on both sides of the ball.