Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, while playing a gang of snaps and performing at a pro level on both sides of the ball, elevating him to national acclaim as one of the rare two-way stars in college football history.
Travis Hunter Listed As Defensive Back For NFL Scouting Combine
One of the mysteries surrounding Hunter (aside from where in the world his fiancé Leanna Lenee is) involves what position he will spend the majority of his snaps at in the NFL. That question might have finally been answered with his position assignment for the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine being released.
Hunter is listed as a cornerback, the position he played so masterfully after flipping his commitment from Florida State and joining Deion Sanders and sons on a college journey that he couldn’t have imagined.
There has been plenty of speculation about whether or not the long and slender Hunter has the body frame to play the same number of snaps on both sides of the ball the way he did in college.
Stephen Weatherly Says Travis Hunter Should Play Both Ways In NFL, But There’s a Downside
Former NFL defensive end Stephen Weatherly joined The Shadow League “Locker Room” podcast to discuss Hunter’s ability to play both ways in the NFL, which would be a much higher level than college, where Hunter played 670 snaps on offense and 686 on defense in 12 regular-season games in 2024.
Weatherly says Hunter has a special skill and should lay into his talents at the next level.
“When you find your secret sauce as a player you need to lean into it, Weatherly said. “Don’t let anyone throw you off your game, so be that amazing athlete, be that two-way star. The only downside is he’s going to have to prove it to the other players and coaches and that requires time. That requires you to go out there and do those reps and those reps are daunting. Before you were doing it against college guys, but now it’s nothing but high-caliber athletes.”
Hunter was a dominant offensive player at Colorado, catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards, 15 TDs, on 13.1 yards per catch in his senior season. His defense was impenetrable, as teams rarely threw to his side and when they did the result was often a pass defended or pick.
Nobody really knows what any of these teams have in store for Hunter, but he’s one of the more unique players in this draft and his football philosophy has to fit in with whatever team he joins, as he’s made it clear he intends to play both ways at the pro level.
“He is doing the right thing. You go as a Top 3 DB not as a top 5-10 WR. He will play both sides of the ball I think he’s a Jacksonville Jaguar,” said one X user, whose team has a slim shot at Hunter holding the No. 5 overall pick.
Will Travis Hunter’s 6-1, 170-Pound Frame Be Problematic?
Hunter’s small frame, however, is also a concern for NFL general managers, according to Weatherly.
“You can still be one of the best out there, but those hits add up,” Weatherly said. “So, Travis’ biggest problem right now is can he prove to his teammates and coaches that he is worthy of playing both ways and then getting the required rest afterward before his body gives out?”
NFL Network draft analyst and former scout Daniel Jeremiah agrees with Weatherly, but he doesn’t agree with the defensive position Hunter will be featured in during the combine.
“He impacts the game more as a receiver,” Jeremiah said of Hunter in December. “He’s really thin. He’s in the 170-pound range. Holding over the course of a long season at corner is tough. There are not many corners with his particular frame or build. I look at his frame and the way he plays the game, and I compare him to Garrett Wilson. However, I talked to a GM the other day who had the opposite view. He told me he’d have him at corner and, let him moonlight on offense and give him a package of plays. It will be different from team to team on how they view him.”
Hunter is projected to go either No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns and no lower than No. 4 overall to the New England Patriots in several mock drafts. Hunter would become just the sixth cornerback selected in the top five of the NFL draft and the first since Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU) and Sauce Gardner (Cincinnati) went Nos. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in 2022.
Football Fans Want To See Electric Travis Hunter at Wide Receiver In NFL
Football fans on social media respect Hunter’s rare talents, but most don’t believe he will ultimately play both positions. They aren’t discounting his toughness or durability. They want to see his incredible talents be maximized with less chance for injury.
X user @JLummin said of Hunter: “He won’t play both full-time. He’s got to pick one and maybe fill in the other side if needed. Think he should be full time CB and then come in at WR for special plays or jet sweeps”
@DrakesPats wrote, “Travis hunter is a better corner than receiver”
@DynastyCLE exclaimed, “Dude should play WR!”
Another netizen said, “Interesting! Think he is a better WR”
There’s still plenty of intrigue leading up to the NFL draft concerning the nation’s top player, and it will continue into next season as Hunter’s actual NFL career begins to unroll, reality sets in and he truly finds his comfort zone.
