Now what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Travis Hunter’s name? The wide ear-to-ear grin and the young chap that walks and talks high energy. While college football fans are excited to see Hunter soar high in the pro league, his draft stocks did hit a pause. The reason? 

His big slip while commenting about the MLB star, Shohei Ohtani. However, the Buffs two-way star had taken the matter into his own hands to whitewash his image. And we must admit that he came off with flying colors. As his clip from his grueling training session goes viral, the fans can now sleep in peace. But before hitting the snooze button they did not forget to shower Hunter with praise.  

Travis Hunter’s road to redemption

Well, pro league is a lot more different than college football. That’s why Hunter was expected to tread with extreme caution. However, one foul comment did leave him in choppy waters. Now what was the hoopla all about? Sitting for an interview, the Buffs’ two-way star was hit with the question, “What’s more difficult? What do you do in football, or what Ohtani does in baseball?” That’s when Hunter came up with the confident reply, “Probably me. What I do in football because it’s a lot on your body, you know. Ohtani, he’s a great player. But you gotta do a lot in football.” And BOOM! The criticisms started to spread like a forest fire. Now come on, Hunter’s bold attitude came off as arrogance to many and his draft stocks took a downward route. But finally, FINALLY, the stocks are rising. 

After all, it’s hard to ignore the efforts that Hunter is putting in to pave his path to the NFL. The dual-threat comes in all ramped up. On March 13, Travis Hunter released a clip on his YouTube channel, where he is seen engaged in intense offseason workouts. It’s hard to miss out on his refined footwork and explosiveness on the field. Hunter came up with the perfect caption for the video – “ROAD TO DRAFT: TRAVIS HUNTER’S HIGH SCHOOL TRAINER PERFECTS HIS CRAFT.” He has been extremely lucky to have his trainer from Collins High School, Drew Johnson, by his side. Donning his pink sneakers, Hunter runs like nobody can catch him. Just to push himself harder, he tied himself with resistance bands that were tied to a pole. And his strength training?

The 190lbs dual-threat did take part in some pull-up sessions, and trained with weights to oomph up his arm strength game. Not to forget how he worked on his reflex. Hunter kept on catching balls with one hand, which came shooting one after the other. As Hunter’s video surged past 11,000 views in a day, the comment section turned into a sea of encouragement. 

Fans hype up Travis Hunter to dominate in the NFL

There has been enough noise recently around Travis Hunter’s two-way skills. While some believed that he would be good to go as a wide receiver, others were under the assumption that the CB role would suit him the best. But Hunter finally got the clarity that he had been looking for. Thanks to Urban Meyer. The former coach said, “Coaches probably want him to play receiver because you can get the ball to him 12 times. I would never say this—other than that guy—I’d play him both ways.” This might have injected some extra dose of motivation that is evident in the training clip. On that note, a fan commented, “Man Travis footwork go be crazy next season u can tell by him staying consistent and ignoring the noise…”

The fact that Hunter functions on his own terms without soaking in any bad vibes is his USP. The two-way star had the perfect ending to the college season topping it up with the Heisman Trophy. He has stuck to his coverage assignment, showing off the quickness and body control to thrive in man-to-man situations that make him stand out. A fan thus commented, “Travis IS DIFFERENT DIFFERENT! He’s HIM!!! 💪🏿 💪🏿 💪🏿”

Going by the latest mock draft by Nate Tice, Hunter is at the top. In case, he caters to the Tennessee Titans‘ condition of playing as a cornerback, he might land as the No.1 pick. But a fan is not bothered about which role Hunter chooses. He just showers love and waits patiently to see Hunter soar high in the pro league, “ly trav cant wait to see what u do in the nfl.”

Well, in college football Hunter has established his authority. However, in the NFL he will be stepping in as a rookie. The passion and enthusiasm that the Buffs’ two-way star had shown in his training gives a glimpse that he is prepared for whatever comes his way. “Great session, Travis will cook as a rookie”

Going by the current scenario, the Titans are not likely to make a compromise if Hunter chooses the WR role or dual position. Holding the No.1 pick they might lean towards choosing another top pick. However, in case they do so, they would be making a thunder blunder. That’s when a fan raised an alarm, “Titans would be a damn fool if they don’t draft you #1.”

Shoutout to Travis Hunter for silencing the distractions and sharpening his game daily.