Two-Way Prospect Travis Hunter Will Face a Problem That ‘Triple Threat Specialist’ Deion Sanders Never Faced In the NFL

It was a rare talent, forging a cornerback, a wide receiver, and a return specialist all in one. Deion Sanders did it flawlessly for 14 seasons. Right from when he was first drafted as the fifth pick overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 draft to his last 2005 season at the Ravens, Sanders outplayed each of his three roles flawlessly. Mostly because of the maestro’s irresistible dexterity on the field, even the best of the franchises could not resist it. Years after, Prime is passing that charm to Travis Hunter at the Buffs, the selected one to carry on Jim Thorpe’s and Deion Sanders’ multi-way legacy in the pro league.

But will Travis Hunter’s natural charm to handle the ball from both ends, paired with Prime’s ninja tips, be too tough to handle for the current NFL teams? Even with a whole year of eligibility left for the two-way sensation to declare for the NFL draft, the buzz around his prospective teams has long started brewing, given the ‘elite’ player he is.

Deion Sanders highlighted the problem that the NFL was about to encounter next season with Travis Hunter’s announcement. “NFL got a problem. What are you going to draft them as? And he’s got to play for way cuz he has value on both sides of the ball. The more you can do in the NFL, that just elevates the bag,” Prime said. There are no questions surrounding Hunter, the 6-foot-1, 181-pounder simply oozes talent. Sometimes too much talent. That’s where the problem might be.

Hunter scrimmaged for 7 receptions, 721 yards, and five touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball had an eye-popping 30 total tackles, and tied for the team lead with three interceptions on the other side of the ball. This talent, per Sanders, would require a coach like Andy Reid or another Jerry Jones to bear the heat of Hunter’s blazing moves. To add to the predicament, Hunter would need to be paid more to dominate on both ends of the ball, which, as a rookie, is quite off-putting for several tight cap-space-bound franchises. But will Hunter, being the elite player in CFB, prompt the franchises to go that extra mile?

Travis Hunter: The praise and accolade collector

Joel Klatt believes Hunter to be ‘the best non-QB player right now in college football’. While the Buffs failed to make an impression the past season, Hunter did, magnificently. He reaped the sweet fruits of his success as the 2023 Paul Hornung Award recipient for the most versatile player.

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Even Carl Reed agreed in unison, hailing Hunter as “the best overall player in college football.” With the Buffs determined to make an impression the following season, the expectations from Travis Hunter are soaring far above theirs. Hunter is expected to bag the 2024 Heisman Trophy. The competition won’t be a day’s process, especially when his QB duo Shedeur Sanders is standing as his top contender. Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Alabaa’s Jalen Milroe are an equally tough sport. How good of a contender will Travis Hunter prove to be against these?