People wrote off Michael Vick as a dual-threat QB. They doubted Deion Sanders could thrive in two sports—or even two positions in one. Time and again, legends shut the haters up. Now comes Travis Hunter. He lives for playing both ways, but let’s be real—pulling that off in the NFL is a different beast. He’s got the Heisman, the highlights, and Coach Prime backing him 100%, but the league isn’t sold. Some NFL greats are throwing shade, and now? Cam Newton just dropped a truth bomb that could shake up his dream. Can Hunter silence the critics again?

A common misconception about two-way players, particularly in the NFL, is that they’re a short-lived novelty. Not many players can do what Travis Hunter does on both sides of the field, and even fewer excel at it. Even so, plenty of people aren’t convinced he can keep it up. NFL legend Patrick Peterson is one of them—he thinks Travis should stick to offense, and he said so on All Facts No Brakes. “I feel like Travis is more valuable on the offensive side of the b—l than the defensive side of the b—l,” said Peterson, one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game.

Well, it’s not the first time someone suggested Travis Hunter play on the offensive side. But even if we see it statistically, no one can deny the fact that Travis excels at both. In his role as wide receiver, he had 96 receptions, gaining 1,258 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns, averaging 13.1 yards per reception. And defensively too, he locked things down at cornerback with 36 total tackles, 4 interceptions, and 4 passes defended. So, why can’t Hunter be any different? Just because it’s rare in the pros doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Let’s take Charles Woodson, for example; he played some offense in college but was primarily a cornerback. They used Jabrill Peppers situationally on offense, but he was never a two-way player. But we keep forgetting that Travis Hunter has been playing two ways his entire life, from high school to college. Although playing both ways in the NFL is incredibly demanding, advances in training, nutrition, recovery, and game planning could make it more feasible.

Even his head coach and father figure, Deion Sanders, believes that Travis Hunter should continue playing both ways in the NFL. He even subtly dismissed the doubts and physical concerns surrounding Hunter’s two-way potential in the pros: “The pro game is actually slower than college. There’s more huddling, more time between plays. The NFL protects you more than people realize.” Now that’s the silver lining people tend to miss out on.

If we compare both leagues, the pace of college football is like a sprint, while the NFL uses a more strategic approach. And that’s what Deion Sanders firmly believes. College football is known for its fast-paced nature, with constant movement and frequent clock stoppages after first downs. In contrast, the NFL incorporates huddles, rolling clocks, and structured breaks, providing players with more time to recover. It seems Deion Sanders is the only one fully backing Hunter’s two-way potential. Like Peterson, Cam Newton also doubts it.

Newton was one of Hunter’s mentors in his C1N program, so his opinion carries weight. Even before the season, Newton said Hunter “can play both” offense and defense. But he also tempered expectations, asking, “Do I think he can play 72 plays on defense and another 57 on offense in the NFL? No.” Now with the draft just around the corner, he comes with a new dose of reality check.

Cam Newton’s harsh verdict over Travis Hunter’s two-way game

Well, we all know that Travis Hunter might land as a first-round pick in the NFL, and knowing his skills and abilities, that’s really not surprising. However, Cam Newton has a pretty different take on the whole no. 1 pick, as it basically means you are joining a team full of losers, and there’s no way any other player can be more impactful than a quarterback. And giving a harsh reality check to Travis, he said, “My issue is when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room full of losers. Guys didn’t know how to win; guys did not know how to prepare. It was a culture shock for me. The games don’t mean a lot to a lot of people in the league, like you would expect. It’s just money. Not everyone has the capability to be impact players; they’re just players.”

Moreover, it’s important to remember that a team picking in the top five of the draft does not automatically imply mediocrity. The Chargers and Commanders, for example, were top-five draft picks in 2024, but they managed to become playoff teams in the same season. On the other hand, the Texans picked second in 2023 and have since achieved back-to-back playoff appearances.

While what Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud accomplished was indeed rare, it is worth noting that quarterbacks typically have a greater impact on turning a team around. Even if Hunter ends up on a struggling team, it does not mean that he will be stuck in a perpetual rebuilding phase. Cam Newton, for instance, joined a struggling Panthers squad but managed to lead them to the playoffs by Year 3 and even played in a Super Bowl by Year 5. A losing record at present does not dictate a losing future. It remains to be seen whether Travis Hunter can actually fulfill the potential that Deion Sanders sees in him.