Colorado’s defense faces a central void with Travis Hunter now in the NFL. DJ McKinney, the cornerback who spent last season in Hunter’s shadow, must now become the team’s primary defensive star while proving his worth to NFL scouts.
DJ McKinney Faces Make-or-Break Season After Travis Hunter’s Departure
McKinney enters 2025 with sky-high expectations, and draft experts see him as a potential early-round pick.
“DJ McKinney. I think he is viewed by ESPN… So, my notes here have him third-best corner in the country, right?… People kind of view him as a potential first, probably second or third-round pick heading into the season,” the Locked On Buffs host explained during a recent podcast.
But getting recognition wasn’t easy for McKinney. Playing next to Hunter meant fighting for attention every game. The podcast host captured this struggle perfectly.
“If you played wide receiver or corner last year, you probably got overshadowed by Travis Hunter,” he said. “If you or a loved one were overshadowed by Travis Hunter, you may be entitled to financial compensation because, I mean, Travis Hunter was a straight-up dog, right?”
Humor aside, McKinney now faces serious pressure. He’s no longer the supporting player; he’s Colorado’s main defensive weapon.
“He steps in now as the de facto top guy, the top dog, right? He is the corner for Colorado,” the host noted. “So why does DJ McKinney have so much to prove? Well, I think he has to show that he doesn’t have to be Travis Hunter, but he has to show that he could step in and fill those shoes of being Colorado’s lockdown corner, right?”
The biggest test will be covering elite receivers without help. This separates good corners from great ones in college football.
“Can they trust him to be put on an island to lock down the opposing team’s best receiver? Can he follow the opposing team’s best receiver around the field?” the analyst questioned. “Um, I think that’s a lot of pressure on him, and I think he has a lot of, it’s a money-making year for DJ McKinney, right?”
McKinney posted solid numbers last season with 62 tackles and three interceptions. But this year represents his chance to become a household name.
Colorado Cornerback DJ McKinney is Projected to be a 1st Round Pick per @espn 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Kcl10qxmA6
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) May 1, 2025
“DJ McKinney has a chance to boost his draft stock, and he has a really big chance to make himself a household name. So, that’s why he has a lot to prove in 2025,” the host concluded.
Now, McKinney has the spotlight. How he handles it will shape his NFL future and Colorado’s defensive success.
