In the build up to the 2025 NFL Draft, former Colorado Buffalo and two-way sensation, Travis Hunter, is refusing to hide his confidence from both the media and NFL scouts. First, there was his Shohei Ohtani comparison.
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Earlier, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner shocked the athletic world when he made the bold comparison. He not only suggested that he was on par with Ohtani, but that his ability to play both the WR and DB positions is more impressive than the baseball star’s ability to pitch and hit in the MLB.
During the most recent airing of The Rich Eisen Show, the titled host noted that Hunter, while not yet in the same realm as the MLB’s premiere talent, has the potential to become the NFL’s equivalent.
In suggesting that Hunter would still need to play both sides of the ball in order to justify his draft capital, Eisen stated, “Just in the same way that Ohtani is a $700 million player because he does both… We throw the word ‘unicorn’ around like we throw the word ‘goat’ around, Ohtani is an absolute unicorn. And that’s why he’s got to pitch, because he got paid $700 million… It’s the same way with Travis Hunter. Separating his talents, he’s not top 5 individually, put it together, absolutely top five.”
While Hunter has yet to prove himself at the next level, there’s no denying his potential to break the football meta. For all of the controversies and headlines that he has generated in recent weeks, there’s more than enough talent to justify his level of confidence heading into draft night.
Deion Sanders demands that Travis Hunter play both ways in the NFL
Having coached Hunter for the last two years, few if any are more aware of his capabilities than NFL hall of famer, Deion Sanders. Having informed NFL scouts that “He doesn’t know any other way,” the Buffaloes head coach suggested that teams will have to ask themselves some tough questions should they choose to prohibit Hunter from playing on offense.
“What else would he do, just sit there by the water cooler while the offense is getting their butts kicked, and you’ve got the best receiver probably on your team over there with the coach waiting for his turn to go back on the field? …That doesn’t make sense to me.”
Having led the FBS in total snaps played throughout his 2024 campaign, Hunter continues to be projected as a top-five pick in his draft class. While Sanders had no issue in leveraging his talents, the same can not be said for the likes of NFL coaches, who will be forced to contend with the fact that the 21-year-old is unlike any prospect that they have seen before.
Hunter’s talents will prove to be a conundrum for both opponents and play-callers alike. A true wildcard, if there ever was one, Hunter is currently the odds-on favorite to be selected by the New England Patriots, with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
