“He’s a Kid in an Adult’s Body”: Deion Sanders Again Backs the Idea of Travis Hunter Playing Both Sides in the NFL

Travis Hunter dominated at the college level, playing both offense and defense, and as he prepares for his NFL journey, he hopes to do the same at the next level. But can he maintain that same intensity on both sides of the ball in the pros? It’s a question that has sparked plenty of debate among fans and analysts alike. Many believe the transition will be far more challenging in the NFL.

However, his former head coach, Deion Sanders—the man who oversaw his development—sees it differently. Coach Prime is fully backing Hunter and believes the Heisman winner will actually find it easier to play both ways in the league.

During his conversation with Skip Bayless, Deion Sanders expressed full confidence in Travis Hunter’s ability to play the majority of snaps on both offense and defense in the NFL. He hopes that whichever team drafts Hunter will adopt a similar game plan and approach to the one he implemented at Colorado.

” He’s an incredible athlete that has the propensity to do both. Secondly, the pro game is slower. They go to huddles. In college, we had the tempo. He gets more rest and in pros, you can’t hit nobody downfield. So his protection is going to be so much better.”

According to Coach Prime, a generational talent like Hunter might actually find it easier to play both ways in the NFL compared to college. His reasoning? The pace of the pro game is slower, with more frequent stoppages and teams huddling between plays.

In contrast, college football is built around up-tempo, high-intensity action with minimal downtime—yet Hunter still managed to play over 100 snaps per game.

Another factor working in Hunter’s favor is the increased player protection in the NFL. Unlike in college, where excessive contact is more common, the league enforces stricter rules to minimize unnecessary hits, which could help Hunter sustain a dual-role workload.

Benching Travis Hunter on either side of the ball would be a mistake, according to Deion Sanders. He firmly believes that once the Heisman winner adjusts to the pace and rhythm of the NFL, teams should utilize him on at least 70% of offensive snaps.

“He’s a kid in an adult’s body. He just wants to, he just loves the game. He loves the fun of it and loves the challenge of it. So once he learned the pace and rhythm of it, he’s going to be dominant once again.”

So who should be the one cashing in on the opportunity to draft a generational talent?

Deion believes the teams should draft Travis only if he fits their system

Coach Prime did everything possible to maximize Travis Hunter’s talent in college, building a system designed to get the best out of his star player. While Deion believes every team should want to draft Hunter, he doesn’t think every team should.

The Titans, who hold the No. 1 pick, have the opportunity to select him. However, Sanders emphasizes that a team should only draft Hunter if they are fully prepared to handle his unique skill set. He needs to “fit” within their system—otherwise, it would be a waste of his generational talent.

” If I was whomever, I would think about taking him. But it has to fit. You can’t just take him because of the raw talent. It has to be a fit. You can’t just grab him and that organization ain’t ready for that because you aren’t going to get the best out of him. It has be someone that’s prepared and ready and has the knowledge to use him in that capacity.”

The Titans have already made it clear that they won’t pass on a generational talent, making the chances of Travis Hunter going first overall quite high. However, as Deion Sanders pointed out, the Heisman winner needs to land in a system where he fits perfectly.

Despite Tennessee’s struggles last season, their secondary wasn’t the issue—they don’t need a cornerback. While they could use a receiver, their biggest priority is finding a franchise quarterback. Even adding a pass rusher ranks higher on their list of needs. Ultimately, the draft should be about addressing team needs, not just chasing talent.

About the author

Ayush Juneja

Ayush Juneja is an NFL sports journalist at The SportsRush. With over a year of covering the sport, he has penned more than 1300 articles so far. As a sports enthusiast and true adrenaline junkie, he finds the physical side of American Football to be especially thrilling and engaging. A big San Francisco 49ers fan but when it comes to playmakers, he prefers Josh Allen over Brock Purdy. However, he would gladly place Christian McCaffrey in second, someone he supported throughout the 2023 season and who ended up winning the OPOY.

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