Travis Hunter took the college football world by storm in Week 1 after a truly incredible performance as a wide receiver and cornerback against the TCU Horned Frogs. Hunter recorded well over a hundred snaps playing both sides of the ball and was a significant factor in the Buffs’ 45-42 upset over TCU.
Hunter recorded 11 catches for 119 yards as a receiver as well as three tackles and an eye-popping interception that saved a touchdown as a cornerback.
TRAVIS HUNTER
A STAR IS BORN FOR @CUBuffsFootball 🔥🦬 pic.twitter.com/vz8vhUVrJ4
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023
The two-way player quickly became one of the hottest Heisman candidates, quickly leaping up to second place behind USC’s Caleb Williams in betting odds.
Hunter was a five-star recruit who originally committed to Florida State before flipping to play at Jackson State under Deion Sanders. He showcased first-round ability at both wide receiver and cornerback. His potential ability has many NFL fans intrigued by his translation to the league and what his draft stock would look like. When can Hunter enter the NFL draft?
When Is Travis Hunter Draft-Eligible?
Hunter is eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. He is currently a sophomore at Colorado and will have another season left before he can throw his name in for the NFL.
What Is Hunter’s Draft Projection?
Speaking about Hunter’s draft potential after his game against TCU, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders called him a No. 1 pick “on both sides of the ball.”
Sanders praised Hunter’s work ethic and willingness to keep playing despite having an incredulous workload on both sides of the ball.
Hunter followed up his performance against TCU with another heavy workload against Nebraska, playing over 100 snaps yet again. Hunter pulled in three catches for 73 yards and finished with four tackles against the Cornhuskers.
Several prominent two-way players have ended up being first-round selections. While these players haven’t played to quite the same prominence or volume as Hunter has on both sides of the ball, Adoree’ Jackson, Jabrill Peppers, Shaq Thompson, Charles Woodson, and Champ Bailey were all first-round picks in their respective drafts.
UCLA linebacker Myles Jack would have likely been a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft were it not for a torn meniscus during his last season.
As it stands right now, it appears Hunter is on track to be picked highly when he is finally eligible in the 2025 NFL Draft.
