There’s an idea that Travis Hunter can’t play extensively on both sides of the ball in the NFL because nobody else has really done it in the modern era for an extended period.
This ignores that nobody in modern college football history did it quite like Hunter, and he was a phenomenal success.
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Hunter won a Heisman Trophy at Colorado, not because he was a great cornerback or a great receiver but because he was great at both. The NFL Draft receiver comparisons to Hunter are elite players like Chad Johnson. As a cornerback, Champ Bailey has been a common comp for Hunter.
Hunter’s college head coach, Deion Sanders, says Hunter could be a starter on both sides, not just starting on one side and moonlighting for a few snaps on the other side.
“It’s not like it hasn’t been done, but he’s done it at a whole other level in college,” Sanders said in an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald. “So why not?”
Deion Sanders believes Travis Hunter could be an impact player in the NFL on offense and defense. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
(Ric Tapia via Getty Images)
There are few people who can personally speak to whether its feasible to play both sides in the NFL and Sanders is one of them. Sanders, perhaps the greatest cornerback in NFL history, had cameos on offense throughout his career. In 1996 he played regularly at receiver as well with the Dallas Cowboys.
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Sanders used Hunter for 688 snaps on defense and 672 on offense last season, an average of 104.6 snaps per game. It’s not like Sanders thought that it was too much or that he couldn’t replicate that in the NFL.
“If they allow him to do it, which they should, he’s going to be phenomenal,” Sanders told McDonald.
Deion Sanders believes Travis Hunter can start on both sides
Colorado had a simple plan for Hunter through the season.
The Buffaloes would play Saturday and Hunter wouldn’t practice until Wednesday. Sanders said that on Sundays, regular players would come to the facilities but did not have to participate in any activities. Mondays and Tuesdays, Hunter would have off. That gave him three full days to rebound from playing 100 or more snaps.
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“So now he’s starting his work week on Wednesday. So his body can recover,” Sanders told Yahoo Sports “We certainly had a plan.”
For most NFL teams, Monday is a light day (or often a day off after a win), Tuesdays are generally off and Wednesdays are when preparations for the week starts. It’s not unusual for veterans to get Wednesdays off. Hunter wouldn’t be a veteran but a special case. Saving him until practice on Thursday isn’t too big of an ask.
And if you ask Sanders, the wear and tear might actually be less on Hunter in the pros.
Sanders: NFL game is slower
One of Sanders’ arguments for having Hunter be a regular on offense and defense is the pace of play is much slower in the NFL.
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College football has leaned heavily into no-huddle offenses and trying to get in as many plays as possible. That’s not the norm in the NFL. Therefore, Hunter would get more time to recover between plays.
“The thing about the college game is it’s much faster than the pro game,” Sanders said. “The pro game is much slower than the collegiate game, because in college you have tempo. Nobody is huddling. Everything is done at the line now. The play is off 15, 17 seconds after the last play.
“The pros aren’t like that. You go into a huddle, man. You get time.”
Sanders also pointed out that the way the NFL game is called, defensive backs aren’t allowed to lay huge hits on receivers anymore.
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“It’s a whole different game, it’s a much safer game,” Sanders told McDonald.
The NFL is a more violent with bigger and better athletes, and the NFL has a longer season, but Sanders doesn’t seem concerned about that. He has been protective of Hunter through the draft process, as he has with his son Shedeur. He wouldn’t push Hunter playing both ways if he didn’t think it was plausible. Hunter has already been a regular two-way player and won college football’s biggest award doing it, all while playing his home games in Colorado’s high altitude.
So when it comes to playing both sides in the NFL, as Sanders says: Why not?
“He can do it,” Sanders said. “He has proved that he can do it.”
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