Why two-way star Travis Hunter can and should play both ways in the NFL

Can Travis Hunter play both ways in the NFL? Yes.

Should he play both ways? Yes.

The "why" behind this begins with the understanding that there has been very little Hunter has shown he can't do if he desires to tackle a task.

Back in November, ahead of Colorado's Big 12 showdown against Utah, Hunter walked in on Deion Sanders, his head coach at Colorado, and absconded with a set of shoes he liked in the middle of Sanders’ presser. It was a playful moment in a period of pressure in the sport, and yet his confidence spoke to both his prodigious talent and propensity to do what he’s going to do — regardless of what you think.

That includes playing both ways in the NFL. 

In fact, Sanders issued a warning that read more like an ultimatum to the 32 franchises interested in drafting Hunter.

"He's gonna do that, or they shouldn't draft him," Sanders said in a recent interview when asked if Hunter can play both ways in the NFL. "I'm gonna make sure of it. Don't draft him if you're not going to give him an opportunity to play on both sides of the ball."

As Colorado became a top-25 program and finished tied atop the Big 12 regular-season standings at 7-2 – the Buffs' first time finishing atop the conference standings since they went 8-1 in the Pac-12 in 2016 – Hunter was putting together one of the most impressive seasons in the 155-year history of the sport.

No other athlete has played nearly 1,500 snaps in a season like Hunter did in 2024, and he did that at the highest level — Power 4 conference play — in college football.

No other player has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in a single season. No other player has won the Chuck Bednarik Award (given to the nation’s best defensive