Former Colorado Buffaloes two-way star and Heisman winner Travis Hunter made his preseason NFL debut on Saturday. While he impressed in some aspects of the game, there were others where he left fans wanting a little more. Notably, he had a play where he struggled against Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson.
On offense, Hunter performed well, making two receptions on two targets for nine yards. It was not a spectacular game, but he did what he needed to do. However, after the game, analyst Dov Kleiman posted a photo of Hunter failing to tackle Johnson, calling it his welcome to the NFL moment.
Travis Hunter welcome to the NFL 💔😔 pic.twitter.com/YYALzNhdpb
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 10, 2025
This led to a big reaction from fans on X as they discussed the possibility of him playing on both offense and defense.
“Funny as sh*t lol. Everyone trying to tell me this skinny little mfer is going to take down these grown men in the NFL. This dude needs to stick to WR and leave the defensive side alone,” one fan wrote.
“Honestly insane, he got drafted so high up,” one fan commented.
“Why’s he on the ground looks like bad technique,” one fan added.
Fans continue to react in the comments.
“Post him locking up in coverage. 1 rep he even covered 2 people and was the sole cause of a coverage sack,” one fan wrote.
“If that’s a welcome to the NFL moment, he got off light,” one fan commented.
“It was heartbreaking watching Travis’ head bounce off the turf like that,” one fan added.

Travis Hunter Admits He Was Nervous Before His NFL Preseason Debut
Travis Hunter was the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft and arguably the best prospect in his draft class. Despite being used to facing pressure, he admitted after the game that he was a little nervous before the game.
“I was a little nervous at first,” Travis Hunter said. “But after the first play, I was good.”
Despite his nerves, Hunter settled into the game well, making some good plays. After the game, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen spoke about Hunter’s performance.
Coen told reporters that he made some good catches and only missed one tackle on defense that he noticed. However, he admitted he needed to watch the game tape again to make a better assessment.
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