What makes Travis Hunter generational is his ability to perform on both sides of the ball. He managed to break all types of stereotypes at college and is expected to make a similar stride in the NFL. The Colorado standout happens to be a top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Although he has enrolled as a corner for the NFL Combine drills, Hunter wants to play both offense and defense. Speaking about the viability of this ambition, NFL analyst Colin Cowherd and podcaster John Middlekauff pitched their opinions as to why this could go south in the real world.
Analysts Skeptic About Travis Hunter Wanting To Play on Both Sides of Ball
The 21-year-old had a terrific season at college while playing for the Colorado Buffaloes. Under Deion Sanders, Hunter honed his skills and became one of the lethal weapons who could dominate as a two-way athlete.
Heading into the draft, Hunter plans to exhibit a similar approach and has already let the teams know about his ambition. However, Colin Cowherd and John Middlekauff are not convinced since no player ever in the history has managed to stay atop the leaderboard as a wide receiver and a cornerback in the NFL.
“Travis Hunter is a player that could underachieve”@colincowherd & @JohnMiddlekauff on Travis Hunter’s NFL Draft stock pic.twitter.com/peHD6ylROe
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) February 24, 2025
One of the biggest reasons are the injuries since it takes a big toll on the body, and coaches often don’t want their star players to get benched because of medical reasons.
“I’m going to throw Travis Hunter out as a player that could underachieve. I think this is coming to a bad team; he’ll have a lot of leverage. He’ll play both ways. I could see that being a problem,” Cowherd said on his podcast this week.
“You know, and we’ll find out. It was just a name on paper. He did announce he’s going to the combine as a corner,” Middlekauff added to Cowherd’s statement. “Now, all the top guys will be interviewed. They go to the podium. It’ll be interesting if he says, ‘I’m here as a corner, but I also plan on playing wide receiver.'”
“I do think it’s fair to say most high-level people in any industry are very singularly focused, and it is very difficult to spread yourself, especially when you’re factoring in youth,” Middlekauff continued.
“I mean, he’s very young. What he did in college was one of the greatest athletic achievements we’ve ever seen. The amount of snaps he’s playing. Do you agree with that? If you’re going to be a both-way corner, wide receiver, just playing corner alone, think of the wide receivers right now in the NFL.”
“You’re chasing those guys for 60-70 snaps; he would be the number one corner. And then you would try to play full-time wide receiver. I think it would be borderline impossible on the body,” the analyst added.
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In the current scenario, the New York Giants happen to be the most probable landing spot for Hunter. However, there is also a real-time possibility that the Tennessee Titans could use their No. 1 overall pick on him.
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