Travis Hunter, fresh off a Heisman-winning campaign with the Colorado Buffaloes, was drafted second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two-way college star is expected to continue playing both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL, with a stronger emphasis on the receiver role.
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That storyline has been making headlines long before draft day, and rightly so. However, the lingering question still remains: can Hunter truly hold his own in both roles at the professional level?
Who better to answer that question than Patrick Peterson, a former cornerback with eight Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro honors to his name? He retired from the NFL following the 2023–2024 season. Over his 13-year career, Peterson recorded 652 tackles, four sacks, 122 pass deflections, 36 interceptions, two pick-sixes, two forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, and four punt return touchdowns.
Peterson clearly knows a thing or two about being a good cornerback in the NFL, having played the position for over a decade. And while he believes Hunter will excel in the league, he did express some uncertainty about how Hunter will efficiently prepare for both positions in the classroom.
“I don’t want to put a cap on Travis, I don’t want to say that he cannot do it because we had these conversations that was like: will he be able to do it at the college level,” said Peterson (via 4th & 1 hosted by Cam Newton).
“The only difference is he’s going to be in the classroom more. I don’t know how he will divide his time in both places. I believe that’s going to be the trickiest part.”
Hunter will need to attend both wide receiver and cornerback meetings. Although he may have done this before, the NFL is a completely different level of complexity and competition.
Newton’s co-host, Omari “Peggy” Collin, pointed out that if Hunter becomes a successful two-way starter, he could inspire other football athletes to try playing both sides of the ball.
Newton and Peterson responded by saying Hunter is already starting to change the game, as future players may consider playing both ways if they’re able.
