Travis Hunter isn’t built like the rest. He never has been. The moment he started his two-way shenanigans at Jackson State, he became an anomaly. When he doubled down and decided he wasn’t just going to be a cornerback but also a wide receiver at the Colorado Buffs, he became something even rarer. Now, as he stands at the precipice of the NFL, doubts have returned, and the league’s decision-makers are at a crossroads. Is Hunter the next great two-way player, or is he about to be forced into a box that doesn’t fit him? That’s the million-dollar question, and it’s one that Hunter himself is determined to answer.

Thing is tackling the doubts and tackling WRs; the two-way blood is in his DNA. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Travis Hunter addressed the elephant in the room—his ability and willingness to play both ways. “Did some meetings at receiver. Did some meetings at DB. So, still up in the air,” he said when asked whether he would see significant snaps on offense and defense in the pros. But while front offices and scouts debate his best fit, Hunter’s confidence remains unshaken. “I’ve been doing it for a long time. Don’t see why I can’t continue,” he stated.

Hunter’s talent is undeniable—his instincts at cornerback are elite, his route running at receiver is polished, and his athleticism is off the charts. Yet, history suggests the NFL isn’t kind to players who try to defy conventional wisdom. The league loves specialists, and two-way players have always been more of an anomaly than a reality. That’s exactly why Fox Sports Radio’s The Odd Couple podcast, featuring Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, took up the debate.

Washington, in particular, was adamant that Hunter deserved the opportunity to at least attempt the two-way path. “You know what? They should absolutely give him a chance of doing it his first year here if he’s willing to do it and put in the grind, put in the work, and the kid really believes that he can do both. I don’t understand it—you don’t stop a prodigy.” If an athlete has spent his entire career excelling in two roles, why force him to choose now? The NFL has always been about maximizing talent, and if Hunter can provide value on both sides of the field, wouldn’t it be foolish to limit him?

Hunter’s newest advocate even took it a step further, bringing LA Dodgers’ ultimate two-way star, Shohei Ohtani, into the conversation. “We’ve talked about this before—it’s not for everybody. Ohtani’s been in the big leagues for how many years now, like six years? He was with the Angels, but this is my point—you haven’t seen anybody follow. Nobody else.” The comparison isn’t perfect—football is a different beast, and playing both ways at the highest level presents unique physical challenges—but the logic holds.

Sometimes, a generational talent forces the sport to evolve. Ohtani has done it in baseball. Deion Sanders also did it with the bat and football, while Charles Woodson flirted with it in football too. But no one has ever fully committed to it the way Hunter wants to.

That’s why Hunter was surrounded by 100 different media reporters in Indy on Thursday. The battle is just as much about perception as it is about production. The NFL has never seen someone play both positions at an elite level for an extended period, and that’s precisely why he’s met with so much skepticism. “They say, ‘Nobody has ever done it, for real, the way I do it,’ but I tell them, ‘I’m just different,’” Hunter said. And that’s the heart of it. The NFL isn’t accustomed to “different.” It prefers predictability, clear positional assignments, and structured roles.

The real question is whether a team will have the guts to roll the dice. The Titans? The Giants? Someone with vision will have to take the leap.

Travis Hunter turning heads in Indy

Travis Hunter is out in Indianapolis, and he’s already making waves at the NFL Scouting Combine. The former Colorado superstar isn’t just trying to prove he belongs in the league—he’s making the case that he can be something the NFL hasn’t seen in decades: a true two-way player. Oh, and maybe even throw in some special teams’ work while he’s at it.

The Combine organizers seem to be buying in, giving Hunter a defensive backs T-shirt—but not as a position restriction. Instead, it’s a nod to his rare versatility, allowing him to work out with the defense on Friday and then switch over to offense on Saturday. If anyone can handle that grind, it’s Hunter.

He’s been pulling off this dual-threat magic since his days at Jackson State and continued it through his last two seasons at Colorado. So why stop now? “He can be whatever he wants to be; he’s that talented,” said Denver Broncos GM George Paton. “We’re still working through it, you know, but I think he’s going to play on both sides of the ba-l. I’ll just leave it at that.” At this point, the only thing out of Hunter’s reach is the limit on what he can accomplish.