Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Travis Hunter wants to continue playing on both sides of the ball. He has made his intentions clear on multiple occasions, which has drawn criticism and doubt over the feasibility of such a role from fans and former players alike.
Former NFL star LaVar Arrington recently raised skepticism about Hunter’s ambitions. According to Arrington, the pro league is a tough game, and he believes it is not possible to dominate as a two-way athlete like Hunter did at college.
LaVar Arrington Shares His Opinion About Travis Hunter
Things are extremely tough in the NFL. The difference in the intensity of football at the college and pro level is massive. Winning a single game takes a toll on players, and trying to play on both sides of the ball sounds too extreme.
Arrington claims that’s just not going to happen because coaches usually would not willingly expose key players to further risk of injuries. For an athlete of Hunter’s caliber, teams will look to keep him as healthy as possible. While speaking to Fox Sports Radio, he reiterated this and alerted Hunter.
“Yeah, he’s not going to be a two-way player. Like, what a true two-way player represents, like what he did in college, that’s just not going to happen,” Arrington said bluntly. “I mean, that’s the reality of it. It would take a perfect storm. You know what it would take? It would take Deion Sanders coaching at the pro level for him to be a true two-way player to get that opportunity. That’s just not how it works.”
"He's not gonna be a true two-way player like what he did in college…The worst thing that could happen to a Travis Hunter is he not settle into what his home position is…If he can't master the art of what he's doing, you do him a disservice."
🎙️@LaVarArrington pic.twitter.com/gLniWAAAkH
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) February 15, 2025
“So the worst thing that could possibly happen to a Travis Hunter is he not settle into what his home position is. You can use him on the other side of the ball, but if you try to muddy those waters, I just don’t think that that’s good for his opportunities and his development to have true success at the next level,” he added.
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Hunter is considered a top prospect. According to the current NFL Draft order, the Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick; they could pounce on Hunter to secure its offense and bring stability to the team. Although, they could also look at selecting a QB; passing on a generational talent like Hunter who could impact two different phases of the game could turn out to be a huge mistake.