Be it as a believer or a naysayer, everyone seems to have an opinion on the two-way football sensation, Travis Hunter. From his 2024 Heisman-winning campaign to his assertion that he will routinely play both sides of the ball in the NFL, the way the Colorado product has captured conversations is a sign that he could become the next face of the league.
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And, some even feel the hype surrounding Hunter isn’t as big as it should be. During a recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, Ryan Clark suggested that the football community has failed to properly inform the masses of just how talented the former Buffalo is.
According to Clark, while Hunter may not be the best at any one position, his overall talent and capabilities to play both DB and WR to a sufficient level are nothing short of impressive.
“Travis Hunter played the whole game on offense, and then would switch and go play the entire game on defense,” said Clark.
“I can’t say that he’s the best wide receiver I’ve ever seen in college; he’s not. I can’t say he’s the best corner I’ve ever seen in college. He is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best to have ever done both simultaneously,” he added passionately.
Given the unprecedented nature of Hunter’s skill set, it is a struggle to find a big enough NFL player to compare him to. However, Clark suggested that Hunter may be closer to the legendary Charles Woodson than perhaps anybody else.
“Charles Woodson is my favorite football player of all time. I used to watch him at Michigan, and they would put him in the game for like 15 plays on offense, 10 plays on defense, and he’d return a punt. You knew that when he got in the game, he was getting the ball, because they weren’t going to waste him,” said the former Super Bowl winner.
Woodson was a dual-threat player during his time at the University of Michigan. He was a cornerback on defense and also played wide receiver, punt returner, and kick returner on offense.
Woodson’s dual-threat ability was a key factor in his winning the Heisman Trophy in 1997, becoming the only primarily defensive player to win the award. So the comparison is pretty legit.
And, while Clark certainly seems to believe that Hunter is more than capable of performing at a high level, he also has some concerns about what Hunter’s day-to-day life may look like.
Clark explained that both offensive players and defensive players are required to spend hours a day studying playbooks and film just to master one position. The former pro bowler couldn’t help but fear that there may not be enough hours in the day for the rookie.
Considering that Hunter will also need a fair bit of rest for the sake of his own safety and well-being, Clark struggled to envision the perfect schedule for him.
“I think we’re trying to simplify it to ‘What is it going to be like when the ball gets kicked off’? What is his life going to be like? He already, in talking about load management, he wouldn’t practice the first day of the week at Colorado,” said Clark.
“At 21, 22 years old, people don’t want to walk in and say, ‘Hey man, when all these veterans are still practicing on Wednesday, you get the day off’. It’s going to take such a toll on that young man to do that,” he added.
Jacksonville’s experiment with Hunter will likely be a learning experience for everyone. While some growing pains and the occasional conflict of schedule are bound to happen, the project still has the potential to turn the football meta upside down, making it well worth the risk.
