“It’s never playing football again.” Travis Hunter has had enough of the chit-chat questioning his two-way capabilities. He is threatening to quit football if his wish to continue playing both offense and defense isn’t fulfilled. Given the extreme physical demands of playing one position, let alone two. Spending countless hours analyzing film and game planning against pros. Franchises have had their reservations about pushing Hunter to his limit. But it’s not like everyone is on the same page. The Titans, Browns, and Giants, who own the top 3 picks, have openly stated their desire to grant his wish. However, most of them see him as a receiver first, then a corner. Now here’s the twist: some coaches around the league believe otherwise. Hunter is a defensive back first, then a receiver. Stating it would be a mistake to play him as a wideout.
Browns GM Andrew Berry openly stated that he wouldn’t put a cap on or govern in terms of what Hunter could do. But Cleveland sees his first home “as receiver and his second home as the defensive side of the ball.” Not at all surprising, considering Hunter was the Biletnikoff Award winner last season, given to the nation’s top wide receiver. That was on top of his Heisman Trophy, which saw Hunter catch 96 passes for 1,258 receiving yards and 15 TDs. Still, an unnamed OC told The Athletic that Hunter won’t see the same success as a receiver against premier NFL corners.
His explosiveness and ball-catching capabilities might give him an edge. But what if “walking up, man to man, Jalen Ramsey’s over you, what is he gonna do? He’s gonna have to grow up fast.” Hunter won’t get to show his trickery in the NFL like he used to against Big 12 opposition. He will have to improvise, but if he plays both sides of the gridiron, it’s going to be hard. “He has all the talent, but he is pretty raw as a route runner. That’s not his fault. You can’t be 100 percent dialed in if you’re literally playing both ways,” a WR coach told The Athletic.
That’s why some want him to play corner instead. A scouting director claims, “I think you’re doing him and the team a disservice if you’re not playing him at corner. He helps your roster because he can play both. But I think he’s more of a package player at receiver. At corner, he can get you 10 interceptions a season.” Well, compared to his 713 snaps on the offense. Hunter did play slightly more on the defense (748 snaps) out of his total 1,481 snaps.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 28: Defensive back Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffalos poses for a portrait at the Indiana Convention Center on February 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Hunter’s 4 interceptions last season were the third most in the Big 12. And as a man-to-man corner, Hunter’s 11 pass deflections ranked 14th nationally. His elite defensive mind propelled him to force a timely fumble against Baylor in overtime that resulted in a Buffaloes win. So, obviously, there’s a massive potential in his defensive side of things. Maybe that’s why coaches and coordinators want Hunter to play as a corner instead of receiver in the NFL.
But the final decision lies in the hands of the team that gets to draft him. As for now, the Ravens’ head coach, John Harbaugh, who won’t even get a sniff of Hunter, believes his wish to play both ways is amateurish.
John Harbaugh gives his brutal take on Travis Hunter’s desire to play both ways
Throughout his 3 seasons in college, Hunter was a full-time two-way player. Starting from Jackson State to Colorado, Travis Hunter had a year-on-year improvement on both sides of the ball. So, once his college chapter came to an end. Hunter is obviously upset that the NFL doesn’t see him in the same way as college did. That’s why he burst out by proclaiming to quit football if his two-way skills aren’t valued among the pros. Some might believe he can continue doing the same in the NFL. But not Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. Neither does he dream about drafting him at No.27, nor does he believe he can play both ways in the NFL.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how they do it, wherever he goes. But to say that you’re going to be completly immersed in everything that there is to know on offense and everything there is to defense. I don’t know if there’s enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that and to have every detail locked down,” Harbaugh claimed. Now, Harbaugh doesn’t completely devalue Hunter’s ability to play two-way in the NFL.
He can do it, but not full-time like college. “You could certaintly do it. I would think, on one side of the ball and then have some sort of a package on the other side of the ball, which is my guess is how the team will do it. Wherever he goes,” Harbaugh added. Only time will tell where Hunter’s future in the NFL lies. Either it could be as a receiver, as a corner, or two-way, as he envisions himself to be.
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