We all know Colorado's Travis Hunter is extraordinarily talented and a lock to be one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and as his likely Heisman-winning season has progressed, he made it abundantly clear that he's spectacular both as a receiver and cornerback.
It's genuinely been the most dazzling two-way season we've witnessed at the collegiate level since Charles Woodson at Michigan in 1997 or Champ Bailey at Georgia the following year.
And because of Hunter's supreme traits, being spectacular at receiver and cornerback tracks. His level of conditioning is the most mind-blowing. Before Colorado's bowl game, Hunter has played a gargantuan 1,443 snaps for the Buffaloes this season. The word "incredible" doesn't even do that justice.
I went into this season with the idea to ultimately come to a conclusion on Hunter's best position in the NFL. And each and every game, he made quality plays at both positions and seemingly never tired.
So, instead of picking one, let's just bask in the glory of Hunter's abilities at both positions.
Cornerback
During the 2024 regular season, Hunter had 38 throws made into his target area and allowed 22 receptions for a minuscule 205 yards with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. That advanced stat line is borderline unfathomable.
Outside of that coverage stinginess, which includes a mere 91 yards after the catch surrendered, Hunter has been a force as a tackler with 12 stops -- which are tackles that constitute a "loss" for the offense based on down and distance. That figure is tied for most among all cornerbacks in the nation. However, he did miss six tackles during the regular season.
Check these two tackles for loss against Nebraska and Baylor, respectively. Both begin with demonstrations of Hunter's high-IQ play recognition and end with how he taps into his supreme athletic gifts as a tackler.
Of course teams want quality tacklers at all positions, but it feels like coaches understand their cornerbacks aren't necessarily going to be as adept at bringing ball-carriers to the turf as their linebacker or defensive line counterparts. What Hunter lacks in girth and size and pure tackling volume, he more than makes up for with a speedy, heat-seeking style as a tackler in space. And making those impact plays on screens is vital today given the propensity of those plays in the NFL.
Now, let's get to Hunter's coverage chops. It's nearly impossible to find a rep on film in which he's clearly beaten due to the athletic gifts of the receiver or the scheme, unless Colorado's in zone, when the responsibility is blurred assigning "blame" for receptions allowed.
Hunter has mostly stuck like glue to wideouts, both underneath and down the field.
Those are textbook coverage snaps featuring disruptions at the catch point on two completely different routes, one from the slot, one from the boundary. While Hunter doesn't look particularly long nor overly tall, playing on the perimeter today is much less about pure size and length and more about tenacity at the catch point, and Hunter certainly brings that every chance he can get.
After an impressive 2023 in coverage, Hunter has taken his game to another level at the cornerback position, regardless of pre-snap alignment or matchup. The film has been borderline sensational, and the traits jump off the screen on defense each game.
Wide receiver
Hunter has the fourth-most receiving yards in the country -- 1,152 -- on 92 receptions, which is the third-most catches among all wideouts at the FBS level. And only San Jose State's Nick Nash has more than his 14 receiving touchdowns.
Despite added attention from opposing defenses, Hunter's production has been steady all season, with only two games that featured fewer than 50 receiving yards.
And it wasn't like Hunter was simply schemed wide open all year. Watch the veteran-esque patience and nasty crossover on this release from press coverage in the tight red zone against Colorado State, which provided Shedeur Sanders with a candidate for easiest touchdown of the season.
But the foundation of succeeding in the NFL at receiver isn't as much about destroying press-man coverage as it was not too long ago. There's a case to be made that yards-after-the-catch skill is now one of the top priorities at the position.
And Hunter has flashed plenty of YAC talent in 2024. He forced a whopping 23 missed tackles on his 92 catches to date, good for a sizable 25% missed tackle forced rate.
Part of Hunter's athletic brilliance comes from his next-level spatial awareness, and how it's married to his footwork and body control. He's shown examples of how rapidly he processes defenders in traffic and can navigate around them while maintain his speed.
It's like the play is happening at half-speed for his mind. There was even a catch against Baylor in which Hunter looks back at Sanders and sees him throwing the long ball, so he puts his head down to gain more speed, then tracks the ball and makes a challenging catch in traffic.
Those three snags are as savvy as I've seen from many NFL receivers. Seriously. On those shallow crosses, many professionals would run into one of the defenders. The diving grab probably was a route improvisation by Hunter, and it demonstrated how his spatial awareness -- and understanding of the entire route concept on the play -- can lead to him quickly locating open space and getting there in a flash.
Travis Hunter NFL Draft prospect profile
- Age as of Week 1: 21 years old
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 185 pounds
- Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
- Interesting fact: Hunter was one of the best dual-threat players in college football history, dominating as a wide receiver and a cornerback
CBS prospect ranking
Position: No. 1 Athlete | Overall: No. 1
Consensus big board ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 1
To check out all of CBSSports.com's most recent mock drafts, click here.
NFL comparison: Champ Bailey
Bailey was the last of the truly game-changing two-way players we've seen at the major collegiate level... before Hunter. His conditioning is otherworldly, and the Colorado star legitimately moved the needle on offense and defense every week for the Buffaloes. Being a two-way player in the NFL takes supreme athletic gifts, and Hunter has them, just like Bailey did in the NFL.
NFL landing spots
- Jaguars: They need another premier talent at WR and could use one at CB opposite Tyson Campbell
- Raiders: This secondary has some fun depth pieces, but Hunter could give it a true No. 1 cornerback. Plus, without Davante Adams, this WR group needs a top target.
- Patriots: The Patriots need to continue to build around Drake Maye. On defense, it wouldn't hurt to give Christian Gonzalez a running mate.
Scouting report
As a receiver: Travis Hunter is a reasonably-sized, ultra-twitchy, savvy receiver prospect. He plays fast and fluid with incredible burst off the line of scrimmage. His routes feature urgent but not rigid, awkward movements. There's so much bounce and flexibility to his game. Hunter possesses borderline elite-level speed, and his best WR attribute is his ability to track the football. Leaping grabs, finding it in traffic, back-shoulders, near the sideline... he's awesome finding the football downfield and in difficult situations. His bouncy athletic traits give him plus YAC skills, too, although he's not going to run through many tackles. He has experience playing outside or in the slot and was equally successful regardless of where he aligned.
As a cornerback: Travis Hunter is a somewhat spindly but super smooth athlete who can match receivers from any pre-snap location. In press, he's calm and rarely shaken at the line. If he is, he can flip on the jets to recover, and has a strong knack for finding the football as it arrives. At times, he can get a tick out-physicaled against blockers or a larger WR. Hunter plays just as well in zone -- because of instincts -- as he does in man. He will bait the quarterback in those scenarios and erupt to the football. He can run with most speedsters and isn't too grabby in most scenarios. He mirrors well at all three levels. As a run defender, he'll miss some tackles, and while not a high-volume run defender, he makes his presence felt as a hitter relatively often.
Accolades
- 2022 (at Jackson State): SWAC Freshman of the Year
- 2023 (at Colorado): Paul Hornung Award winner (most versatile player in FBS)
- 2023 (at Colorado): Consensus All-American
- 2024 (at Colorado): Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
Strengths
- Effortless burst and fluidity
- Elite-level ball skills as WR or CB, routinely finds the football
- Plus speed and body control
Weaknesses
- Smaller frame than what some teams may look for in a WR or a boundary CB
- Can his body hold up at both positions in the NFL over the course of a season?
College stats
Offensive stats (WR)
| Year | G | REC | YDS | YDS/REC | TD | YDS/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 (Colorado) | 12 | 92 | 1,152 | 12.5 | 14 | 96.0 |
| 2023 (Colorado) | 9 | 57 | 721 | 12.6 | 5 | 80.1 |
| 2022 (Jackson State) | 8 | 18 | 190 | 10.6 | 4 | 23.8 |
Defensive stats (CB)
| Year | G | TOT | SOLO | AST | PD | INT | FF | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 (Colorado) | 12 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
2023 (Colorado) | 9 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 |
2022 (Jackson State) | 8 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
247Sports profile
High school: Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia)
Class: 2022
Composite rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (100)
- National: 1 | CB: 1 | Georgia: 1
High school accolades: Nation's No. 1 recruit for Class of 2022; two-time MaxPreps Georgia Player of the Year; MaxPreps first-team All-American; Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Georgia Player of the Year
Check out Ashton Jeanty's full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.