After a one-of-a-kind career at Jackson State and Colorado, Travis Hunter is off to the NFL. He has a ton of talent, but what’s the best way for an NFL team to make use of that talent?
Travis Hunter scouting report
Background
College: Colorado
Rookie year age: 22
Height: 6’1
Weight: 185
Awards: Heisman Trophy winner (2024), Walter Camp Award (2024), AP College Football Player of the Year (2024), Chuck Bednarik Award (2024), Fred Biletnikoff Award (2024), Paul Hornung Award (2023, 2024), Unanimous All-American (2024, offense and defense), Consensus All-American (2023), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2024), First-Team All-Big 12 (2024, offense & defense), First-Team All-Pac-12 (2023, defense), Second-Team All-Pac-12 (2023, offense), Second-Team All-SWAC (2022), SWAC Freshman of the Year (2022)
Travis Hunter was the top overall recruit in the Class of 2022 and initially committed to play at Florida State. He made headlines when he flipped his commitment to play for head coach Deion Sanders Jackson State, becoming the first five-star recruit in history to sign with an FCS school.
Hunter dominated at Jackson State before following Sanders to Colorado, where he continued to play at an incredibly high level – on both offense and defense. Hunter played over 1,500 snaps last year alone, and was an All-American at both wide receiver and cornerback. The year culminated with him winning the Heisman Trophy.
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Stats
| Season | Team | Class | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jackson St. | FR | 8 | 18 | 190 | 4 |
| 2023 | Colorado | SO | 9 | 57 | 721 | 5 |
| 2024 | Colorado | JR | 13 | 96 | 1258 | 15 |
| Career | 30 | 171 | 2169 | 24 |
| Season | Team | Class | G | Tackles | INTs | PBUs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jackson St. | FR | 8 | 19 | 2 | 8 |
| 2023 | Colorado | SO | 9 | 30 | 3 | 5 |
| 2024 | Colorado | JR | 13 | 36 | 4 | 11 |
| Career | 30 | 58 | 9 | 22 |
Strengths
-Extremely fluid and crisp mover, which helps him both as a route runner and in man coverage
-Elite ball skills, wins regularly at the catch point on offense or defense
-High level instincts that allow him to stay a step ahead of opponents
-Speed and athleticism make him a matchup nightmare on offense or a chess piece on defense
Weaknesses
-Smaller frame. Durability was an issue in college and could continue to be in the NFL especially if he’s going to go beyond being a full-time player on one side of the ball
-Size and play strength will factor in more on offense, and likely limit him to Z/slot wide receiver roles
Video breakdown
Bottom line
Travis Hunter’s ceiling is probably higher as a cornerback, but he has all the tools to be a high-level wide receiver as well. Playing both ways full-time in the NFL seems like a near-impossible task, but playing full-time on one side of the ball while being a package player on the other is a realistic goal. The question is, exactly what will that usage look like? Hunter’s development path isn’t nearly as clear-cut as the average prospect, and plans may vary significantly from team-to-team. Even if the spot isn’t perfect he should still be a good player but in the right situation Hunter has all the tools to be a down-to-down game changer as a pro.