“He Needs to Play Both Ways at the NFL Level”: Former Heisman Winner on Travis Hunter’s Chances to Play on Both Offense and Defense

There has been a hot debate on whether Travis Hunter will be able to play both ways in the NFL. A former Heisman trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, thinks that it’s essential he plays on both sides in the big league. The former QB turned analyst related the situation to taking away a baker’s specialty to bake a certain delicacy, resonating with the host of Up & Adams.

RG3 joined Kay Adams on her morning sports show to talk about the two-way star. After winning the Heisman trophy, the attention with Hunter now turns to the NFL. It once again brought back up the very important question: can Hunter play both ways in the NFL?

RG3 actually had a sit-down interview with the two-way star on his own podcast, and he emerged from it thinking it’s an absolute necessity for Travis to play both sides.

“He needs to play both ways at the NFL level,” Griffin proclaimed. “It helps him be the best player he can be… It would be like telling a pastry chef who is a master at beignets ‘you can no longer make beignets; you can only make cakes.'”

What position should Heisman winner Travis Hunter play in the NFL??
@RGIII: “He NEEDS to play BOTH ways at the NFL level because it helps him be the BEST player he can be.”

Kay: @heykayadams @TravisHunterJr @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/jqFbGo8Z9x

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) December 16, 2024

Essentially, RG3 is trying to explain that only playing on one side of the ball in the NFL would stifle Travis’ talent. This was something Adams quickly agreed with. Originally, when Griffin made the proclamation, Adams reacted as if her mind was blown. But after the analogy, she actually seemed to understand what RG3 was saying.

Adams then argued that the Patriots, who are projected to draft Hunter, could do well with help at both receiver and cornerback from what Travis is offering.

The Pats, as of now, are slated to have the third pick, and according to several analysts, this is where Hunter will be picked up. More interestingly, should Hunter be selected by them, he would be tied for the third-highest pick ever for a two-way player draft prospect.

It’s a great sign that a former NFL player who enjoyed success at that level like RG3 is already singing the praises of Hunter. He’s been the talk of college football ever since he arrived there. Yet, there are still NFL executives who don’t believe he can play both positions at the highest level. But if RG3 is right, forcing him to play just one position would only take away all of his greatness.

Some players in sports feed off a certain style of play. For Hunter, he wants to always be on the field. If a team takes him with a top-three pick and doesn’t allow him to play the way he wants, it could start to get dramatic, and very quick, for Hunter. But it’s more than likely he’ll be allowed to play both receiver and cornerback in the NFL.