The Colorado Buffaloes are preparing for their first season under Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, and dynamic Travis Hunter is expected to play a vital role on both sides of the football.
The 2022 No. 1 overall recruit, who surprisingly flipped his commitment to Jackson State during the early signing period in December 2021, followed Coach Prime to Colorado when the two-time Super Bowl champion and one-time Defensive Player of the Year left Jackson State for Boulder.
Deion Sanders pulled off a serious flip when he nabbed Hunter and all of the talent evaluators seem to agree that Hunter is a special player.
Travis Hunter Voted Preseason All-American
Hunter was recently named a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports, the distinction coming as an all-purpose player on the first-team offense.
After dazzling in high school and elevating to the No. 1 overall high school recruit in the class of 2022, Hunter endured some injuries in his freshman season, but also flashed the special talents that coaches and NFL scouts salivate for. With current Buffs head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State, Hunter snatched two interceptions and eight passes defended as a cornerback while catching 18 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.
Why Is Travis Hunter A Preseason All -American?
What makes Hunter unique is his ability to play both sides of the football. He’s probably the only two-way player in college football, similar to Coach Prime in his illustrious NFL career.
Originally recruited as a cornerback, Sanders allowed Hunter to play wide receiver as well. Having played corner almost exclusively, Hunter is pretty well-versed on that side of the football, and despite his elite athleticism he has a lot to learn about playing receiver.
Hunter Focusing On Playing WR, Sanders Enlists Terrell Owens To Help
When he first arrived at Colorado Hunter was working solely on getting up to speed at the receiver position. In an effort to help Hunter’s transition even more, Sanders brought in fellow Hall of Famer and good friend Terrell Owens back in March.
When asked about Hunter, Sanders told reporters this about why he’s been spending so much time with the receivers:
“He needs to learn everything about being a receiver because he’s a natural DB,” Sanders said. “He has to learn the signals, he has to understand the route movement, arms staying in tight to his body, the shoulders over his knees. Travis has to learn everything about being a receiver — checks and everything. He’s focusing a lot on receiver right now and we’re happy with his progress.”
Owens specifically worked with Hunter on using his hands and body to get open Sanders refers to Owens as “the release king” for how he use to win against defensive backs at the line of scrimmage.
While it’s unknown when Owens will make the trek to Boulder, he did give a little sneak peek into what he’s gonna focus on with Hunter.
“Get in there, transition in and out of the routes. You ain’t gotta go 100 miles an hour every route, you know understanding the leverage, all that stuff!”
Anytime you can get pointers and insight from the NFL’s third all-time leading in touchdown receptions, it’s a good thing. That and hearing how much Hunter has progressed as a receiver since his transfer to Boulder says a lot, and the fact that Sanders and staff see him as a two-way player at the Power Five level speaks volumes.
Learning Curve Continues
Now he’s trying to learn two new systems at Colorado, with the fast-paced offense under offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, which uses a ton of hand signals.
Then on defense he’s being asked to play more of the boundary corner, which is closer to the sideline, instead of the field corner which covers the wide side of the field.
Because of his elite skill, and the way new defensive coordinator Charles Kelly likes to use his safeties, Hunter will be in man coverage a lot.
