NFL draft prospect Travis Hunter has been the main source of debate within the NCAA and NFL communities this week due to comments the Colorado Buffaloes star made ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
One such comment came in a recent interview with CBS Sports, where Hunter claimed he would retire if he couldn’t play on both sides of the ball in the NFL.
Is Travis Hunter’s Retirement Threat a Bad Move?
According to many within the NFL community, Travis Hunter — who won the Heisman Trophy last season playing snaps on both sides of the ball — is not capable of doing the same in the NFL.
One of the many experts who made this claim was NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who discussed the possibility on his “Nightcap” podcast, revealing it was too much of a risk for NFL coaches — but not for the reason you might think.
“Because guess what, he plays both sides of the ball, he gets hurt and misses a game — guess what I’ve got? I’m down two players,” Sharpe reasoned, pointing out the increased chances of Hunter getting injured during the season.
Despite the apparent doubt surrounding his ability to play both sides of the ball, Hunter is backing himself — including with his most recent claims.
“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter told CBS Sports last week. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
Hunter’s claims were met with immediate backlash — and with good reason. Admitting this out loud not only showcases Hunter’s ego in making demands, but could also impact his draft stock if teams don’t view him as good enough to play both sides of the ball.
That includes the likes of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who has gone on record saying he would prefer Hunter stick to just one position — suggesting that his comments may have thrown New England off his scent.
“I don’t know how anybody could say how hard it would be. We’ve never seen a player necessarily do it,” Vrabel said via MassLive. “I think there’s some things he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position.”
Travis Hunter Has One Potential Savior
With Cam Ward clearly set to go as the No. 1 pick to the Tennessee Titans, and with the New England Patriots potentially looking elsewhere due to his comments, Hunter still has two teams left who could have interest in him within the first four picks.
One of these teams is the Cleveland Browns, whose head coach, Andrew Berry, went on record to say he views Hunter as talented enough to play both defense and offense.
“In terms of Travis Hunter, cornerback or receiver, the answer is ‘yes.’ He can play both, and I think that’s what makes him special.”
Despite that, even Berry and the Browns still view Hunter as primarily a wide receiver — meaning even they could be dissuaded from taking him following his comments.
“But we would see him as a receiver primarily first. But I think what makes him a bit of a unicorn is that he can do both at a high level,” Berry said.
KEEP READING: Top 10 NFL Draft QB Rankings
While it’s too early to make any claims, with the draft just a few weeks away, we’ll have to wait until April 24 in Green Bay to discover what head coaches and GMs made of Hunter’s comments.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
