Travis Hunter’s Two-Way Hype Infuriates Shannon Sharpe: “Is He More Talented Than Prime?”

Travis Hunter’s hype from last season continues to soar as the two-way star opened the season with a bang, dominating on both sides of the ball in Colorado’s opener against North Dakota State. However, during an episode of The Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe asserted that Hunter would need to specialize in just one position in the big league, similar to how the more talented Deion Sanders did when he was drafted.

Strongly disagreeing with Robert Griffin III’s tweet about Hunter being capable of playing on both sides of the ball in the NFL, Sharpe questioned whether the Buffs star is more talented than Prime, considering that even Deion Sanders couldn’t play both sides. Deion primarily played as a DB but saw some offensive reps with the Cowboys a decade after being drafted.

Sharpe said:

“Is he more talented than Time? Time ain’t play both sides of the ball. RG3 talking like that man should be able to play both sides of the ball as many snaps as he likes. People just see stuff, a lot of time people just tweet stuff to get a reaction. Having played at that level and see, when he was playing both sides of the football, and he was not playing every snap.”

Sharpe also pointed out that Travis would be facing the best of the best on both sides of the ball, arguing that it’s nearly impossible for him to excel in both roles.

That said, Shannon’s assessment has merit. It’s hard to play snaps of both sides of the ball without compromising efficiency. You cannot excel with this much workload and are likely to burn yourself out. And it’s not like the NFL rewards mediocrity.

Hunter will need to choose between CB and WR, and Ochocinco believes that, given the market for receivers, playing the position would be a financially better choice. For example, WR CeeDee Lamb just inked a $34 million yearly deal with the Cowboys, followed by Justin Jefferson’s $35 million-a-year contract with the Vikings.

Whether he plays DB, WR, or both, Hunter is likely to get drafted, possibly in the first round of the 2025 draft. The burning question will be his choice of destination when he decides to declare for the NFL.

Where does Hunter want to be drafted?

While Deion has spoken many times about his sons, Shedeur and Shilo’s destination, preferably not some place cold, Hunter, who could be a top-five pick like Shedeur, revealed his preferred destinations around the same time last year on weekly Bleacher Report talk show, 12 Talks.

While the two-way star admitted his love for the San Francisco 49ers, his answer wasn’t the bay area, and it seemed like a matter of convenience and staying in his comfort zone.

Hunter asserted that if given the choice, he would prefer staying in Colorado and playing for the Denver Broncos. However, he was less enthusiastic about the prospect of playing for the Packers, one of the teams he has been linked to several times in the past. While he doesn’t mind the cold, he questioned, “Why do I gotta go to Green Bay?”

However, he won’t have the final say in where he goes. As a top prospect, teams like the Panthers, Titans, and Patriots are likely to draft him. Most teams don’t trade up for any position other than quarterback. So, the only choice he can make is whether to play receiver or cornerback in the NFL.