Travis Hunter is looking to do what no NFL player has done in over 60 years—play full-time on both sides of the football.
Playing offense and defense used to be the norm back in the first 40 years of the NFL, in the days before the Super Bowl, before the advent of instant replay, and when receivers were still called "ends." Given the limits to both roster size and substitutions in the early days of the sport, two-way stars were a necessity.
But times have changed. In the era of increased specialization, the days of the “60-Minute Man” are long over. Some teams have used select players at a second position in a limited capacity—J.J. Watt, William 'Refrigerator' Perry and Warren Sapp all jump to mind—but we haven’t seen a true regular on both sides of the ball since Chuck Bednarik retired after the 1962 season.
While we haven’t seen a two-way star in the modern era of the NFL, Hunter is already used to doing what no one else can do.
Plenty of people doubted the Colorado Buffaloes star wide receiver and cornerback could successfully play two positions in college, and then he went and won the Heisman. Today, Hunter is facing those doubts again as he prepares to step into the pros.
Why would it be so difficult for Hunter to play two positions? Can Hunter actually play both ways? And what do the coaches that will be leading him, or facing off against him, think of his plan?
A look at what Hunter is trying to tackle:
Obstacles to Hunter Playing Both Ways
Given how far the NFL has developed since the earliest days of the sport, Hunter would have a lot more on his plate than the stars that played both ways in the 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. It's difficult for many players just to learn one position in today's complex NFL, but Hunter would have to master the schemes and game-plans at two positions.
Hunter would have to go to meetings for both offensive and defensive players, as well as positional meetings at wide receiver and cornerback. It's not just about the number of meetings, but the amount of detail-work required to execute different weekly matchups at a high level at two positions.
Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, who played corner and wide receiver in college, told ESPN in December that an underrated challenge to playing two ways is the mental responsibility. Bailey saw time at two positions briefly in the NFL, but spent the majority of his career solely playing cornerback.
"There isn't enough said about the accountability that comes with what Hunter is doing, too. Playing both ways means putting extra stuff on your plate, and people are counting on you to do it, so it can't just be something you want to try," Bailey told ESPN. "That mental pressure will take the biggest toll unless you really love what you're doing and go all in. And beyond the physical aspect—which is an immense challenge in itself—you also have to be proficient in two different playbooks. Other guys might have had the talent to do what he's doing, but we never find out because they don't have the mentality to really commit to doing it."
During a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Hunter dismissed that as an issue. "Well we kind of got 24 hours in a day, we probably sleep for about eight of those, so we probably got 16 more," Hunter said. "… all of them dedicated to football."
Another concern is whether Hunter can physically withstand playing full-time at both corner and wide receiver in the NFL. He had the endurance to do so in college, but at 6'1" and 185 pounds, his size is a moderate concern. Hunter dealt with injuries during his first two college seasons, but did stay healthy in 2024.
"I do a lot of treatment," Hunter said at the combine in February. "People don't get to see that part of what I do for my body to make sure I'm 100% each game … I know I can do it. I did it at the college level which the game is, we rarely get breaks. It's a lot more breaks in the NFL."
What NFL Teams Have Said About Hunter
There is no consensus on how teams would use Hunter if they drafted him. Some prefer him as a wide receiver first, others see him primarily as a cornerback. A common sentiment is that teams would start Hunter at one position, and then have a package of plays to utilize him on the other side of the football.
The Browns, who hold the No. 2 pick, are strong contenders to draft Hunter, and general manager Andrew Berry said at the combine that they see him as a receiver first.
"He can play both," Berry said during the combine in February. "I think that’s what makes him special. We would see him as a receiver primarily first, but part of what makes him a bit of a unicorn is the fact that he can do both at a high level."
Berry re-iterated last week that they view Hunter as a receiver first, but are open to having him play both ways. "What he would attempt to do has not been really done in our league, but we wouldn't necessarily put a cap in terms of what he could do," Berry said. "We would want to be smart with how we started him out."
Titans coach Brian Callahan had the opposite take as Berry at the combine, saying they see Hunter as a cornerback first. "He probably starts at corner, and then you find ways to inject him in the offense as he gets more comfortable, he plays more and more offensively," Callahan said.
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, whose team has the No. 4 pick in the draft, has said they are open to the idea of Hunter possibly playing on both sides of the football.
"I think there are some things he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position," Vrabel explained. "But never going to put any restrictions on Travis, or any player. We try to—as much as they can handle—we’re going to continue to put more on their plate."
Giants general manager Joe Schoen, who has the No. 3 pick in the draft, also is open to having Hunter play both ways, and expressed optimism about Hunter's ability to do so.
"Travis is a unique individual," Schoen said. "He's fun to watch. It's unique, the ball skills, the route ability, and also the ability to go to the other side and play corner, you just don't see that very often. … This guy can do it all. He's a great kid, it would be hard to keep him off the field. … I think he'll be able to do both."
The Baltimore Ravens are aware it'd be highly unlikely for Hunter to fall to them, but coach John Harbaugh did express doubts about Hunter being able to play two positions, at least on a full-time basis.
"It's going to be interesting to see how they do it, wherever he goes," Harbaugh said last Tuesday. "But to say that you're going to be completely immersed in everything that there is to know on offense and everything there is to know on defense—I don't know if there's enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that and have every detail locked down.”
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has said, "He could play either position. I agree with people that say it's hard to absorb the game-plans to be a true two way player."
Hunter told NBC Sports' Chris Simms in a recent interview that he believes teams "don't know what to do with him" because he is a rare player to actually accomplish playing at both positions successfully in college.
"It's a lot of teams that don't know what to do with me," Hunter told Simms. "They've seen me do it at the college level. Nobody actually thought I'd be able to do it at the college level, so everybody is amazed that I've done it for this long and I've done it at a high level. A lot of teams don't really know what they're going to do with me. I think first day in the building they're gonna see how much I can handle, and see what I can take in, and see how I perform."
What NFL Analysts Have Said About Hunter
Along with NFL teams, many analysts hold different opinions or have heard varying takes on where Hunter will primarily play, and if he should play two ways.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah and Fox broadcaster Joel Klatt can see Hunter playing both ways, but view him as a cornerback first..
“I believe there is a way for him to make an impact on both sides of the ball, but it will likely require him majoring in defense with a minor in offense,” Jeremiah said in March.
"He is fully both positions, which is mind-blowing," Klatt said on the show. "I firmly believe he should be on both sides. … My take is you make him a corner and then you make him your No. 3 wide receiver, because your No. 3 wide receiver is a starter and he's fully in the game-plan and yet you're going to limit his snaps just based on personnel groupings in game situations."
The Athletic's Dane Brugler and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler have similarly heard around the league that more teams feel Hunter has a higher ceiling at cornerback.
“I think there’s a certain group of teams that think, ‘Hey, he should be a full-time corner because we think his ceiling is highest there," Brugler told Dianna Russini on the podcast. "He could be a top three corner in this league. But there’s other teams, and I think the Browns are of them, who just need offense so badly that it’s like, ‘We’re gonna make him a full-time offensive player.'”
"The slight majority of teams that I've polled on this do see Travis Hunter as a cornerback," Jeremy Fowler said on . "As one executive told me, 'He'd be a top 10-15 receiver, he would be the No. 1 cornerback in the NFL if you give him two-three years to refine that skillset.'"
"Teams are sort of racking their brain, 'Hey, if he's gonna be a wide receiver, can we get him as a third down cornerback? A third down package?" Fowler said. "Which is really hard to do in the NFL with the meetings and how hard it is to play one position, can he get away with it from a logistical standpoint? He's really the case study, and really talented enough to probably do it."
In contrast, draft analyst Todd McShay and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. see Hunter primarily at receiver over cornerback.
"I think he's actually a better wide receiver," McShay said on . "I think he's at his best with the ball in his hand. I'm telling you Colin, he's up there in the top five of wide receivers in terms of ball skills in the past decade. While that's great at corner, how many interceptions is he really gonna have? If I can have that weapon who's that reliable and refine him a little bit as a route runner, I wanna get the ball in this guy's hands."
"While Hunter could absolutely play cornerback in the NFL, I have him ranked as a receiver, where he can pick apart opponents with his ball skills, quickness and instincts," Kiper wrote. "Despite playing both ways, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 scores last season."
Why Can Hunter Do It?
Hunter not only played both offense and defense in college, he won prestigious national awards on each side of the football. He won the Biletnikoff Award, bestowed annually to the best receiver in the nation, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the defensive player of the year.
Along with those awards, Hunter received first-team All-Big-12 honors at wide receiver and cornerback in 2024. He went on to be named the AP College Football Player of the Year and win the Heisman trophy.
These feats are incomparable in the modern era of football. Former UCLA linebacker Myles Jack was named the Pac-12 Offensive and Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2013, but he only saw significant time on offense for three games during the season.
Simply put, Hunter is a tremendous cornerback and wide receiver, and even viewed as the top prospect at both positions by some this year.
Outside of his pedigree at both positions, Hunter has the rare dedication to perhaps play on both sides of the ball. ESPN rated Hunter as the No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2022, and he could have gone to a number of prestigious programs. Instead of going to a powerhouse, Hunter became the first five-star recruit to go to an HBCU or FCS school, flipping his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State in order to play under Deion Sanders, who gave him that rare opportunity to play both offense and defense.
His dedication also comes through in his conditioning. Hunter is in such great shape that even Greg Sholars, the director of the AP Ranch where Hunter is training, can't help but acknowledge that Hunter stands out.
“I’ve worked with a lot of elite athletes—Olympic sprinters, NBA guys—and by far Travis is the most unique,” Sholars told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde. “He has the aerobic capacity of an elite middle-distance runner or miler, but he has the sprint speed of a world-class sprinter. He’s different.
“There’s been two questions I’ve never heard him ask: How many? or Are we done? Most people, that’s the first thing they want to know. He just goes and goes and goes. We should dedicate his body to science.”
Sanders believes that playing both ways will actually be easier for Hunter in the NFL than in college football, because of the slower tempo of play often seen in the NFL.
"NFL is a slow game. You're going to a huddle," Sanders said on NFL Network. "… How's the contact nowadays? Minimal. So that game is more conducive to him being successful than a college game. College is tempo, tempo, tempo. Now you're talking about you've gotta be in shape. Pros, it's at least, how many seconds between plays? Please, he's gonna go jogging after the darn game because he's gonna have all that energy."
So Will it Happen?
The biggest question shouldn't be whether Hunter can play both positions, but whether the team that takes him in the draft allows him to. Hunter won't be afraid to earn his way to playing two positions. After all, that's what Sanders made him do to play both receiver and cornerback.
“I had to earn it by playing one side of the ball first, so that’s kind of what he made me do,” Hunter told Forde. “I had to dominate on one side of the ball to be able to get to the other side of the ball. Once he saw that I could do it, he started gradually to put me out there [on offense].”
If the team that takes Hunter doesn't allow him to play offense and defense, Hunter suggested in an interview with CBS Sports that he would quit playing football.
"It's never playing football again," Hunter said. "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."
What Hunter is trying to accomplish might be unheard of since the NFL's footage turned from grainy black and white to color, but from his training regiment to his collegiate path to his greatness at two positions, Hunter is unheard of. He has proved deserving of the chance to play two ways.
He might be trying to achieve what no one else has in the modern NFL, but that wouldn't be much different from what he's been doing his entire life.
