A very valuable two-way player. Playing the most snaps on both offense and defense. That’s why Travis Hunter is a huge target to tackle, making him more susceptible to injury than other players. And interestingly, it’s HC Deion Sanders who had to take the blame for the catastrophic game against Kansas State in Week 7. 

“This kid [Travis] has a $200M NFL future and we’ve all sat back and watched Deion exploit this kid and put this kid in harm’s way.” That’s what Jason Whitlock said in his new YouTube episode on October 15 titled “Deion Sanders is DESTROYING Travis Hunter.” According to Whitlock, Deion Sanders using Travis Hunter to “play him both ways and play him virtually every snap for an entire season” is a recipe for destruction. 

Highlighting the inevitability of football players’ injuries, he added, “When your coach decides, ‘hey I’m gonna play you 120, 130 snaps per game,’ the inevitability of injury increases substantially… He’s playing too many snaps. This game will not allow you to play that many snaps.” Before his right shoulder injury against Kansas State, Travis Hunter was on the field for 44 of the game’s 45 snaps on both sides of the football. 

This season, Travis Hunter was averaging 124 snaps per game before the Week 7 tragedy. He got injured when the Wildcats’ safety Daniel Cobbs hit him during a 14-yard catch in the second quarter. This isn’t the only injury Hunter has faced under Deion Sanders. His last season’s lacerated liver injury also deeply impacted their season. Maybe that’s why Coach Prime is getting the sour bomb.  

Analyzing Travis Hunter’s snaps this season

With his explosiveness, Travis Hunter is one of the top first-round prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. His ability to play effectively as a WR and CB in college football has even catapulted his odds for the Heisman Trophy race. In six games this season, the Buffs’ two-way star has led the offense with 49 receptions for 587 yards and six touchdowns in 300 offensive snap counts.

Hunter’s brilliance also shone on defense with 16 tackles (11 solo), three passes defended, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 320 snaps. Overall, he played 620 out of a potential 689 snaps for Deion Sanders’ Buffs this season! But the records only suggest an overload that could hamper his NFL future with injuries. His possibility to play both ways in the NFL has sparked mixed responses from NFL veterans. But right now, the concern is if Hunter will be able to recover to make it to their next game against Arizona. Colorado dare not miss players to injury because they still need two more wins to become relevant.