Travis Hunter is one of the most recognizable faces from college football following his Heisman Trophy campaign in 2024-25. He’s a two-way star in the mold of Shohei Ohtani, thriving on both offense and defense for Colorado.
Projected to go third overall in PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft, Hunter is naturally expected to continue playing both cornerback and wide receiver at the next level. However, he was officially listed as a cornerback ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft Combine. What gives?
Albert Breer Explains Travis Hunter’s CB Designation at NFL Combine
In his weekly column for Sports Illustrated, NFL insider Albert Breer offered an explanation as to why Hunter is being pinned down as a defensive back despite his two-way stardom.
“Jeff Foster, the president of National Football Scouting (which runs the Combine), talked with Hunter’s people to try and get to the best solution, to allow him the best opportunity in Indianapolis,” Breer expounded.
“The decision, it turns out, was strictly functional. The Combine’s first three days would look pretty much the same for Hunter, whether he was classified receiver or DB. The fourth day is the workout, and obviously that would be different. The DBs work out on Thursday, the receivers work out on Friday. So the only way the Combine could allow for him to attend both workouts was to have him go through the rest of the process with the DBs.”
To be clear, Hunter was also invited to work out with the receivers on the Friday of the NFL Combine, should he so choose.
His final season at Colorado was the stuff of legend. In 13 games, he had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded 36 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 passes defended — video game numbers from the 21-year-old.
While Hunter is a great offensive weapon, it is worth pointing out that he’s expected to be a better cornerback than receiver at the next level.
Travis Hunter interception 🕺@TravisHunterJr x #GoBuffs
📺: CBS
pic.twitter.com/OSqIvjAlyY— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 15, 2024
However, in PFSN’s scouting report of Hunter, Brentley Weissman suggests that Hunter is a better fit as a receiver in the NFL.
“As a prospect, Hunter possesses below-average overall size and length but offers once-in-a-generation type of overall athleticism. He has rare quickness, speed, and burst that allow him to excel and win against most players he lines up against on either side of the ball. Furthermore, Hunter has rare instincts, ball skills and is hyper-competitive, all of which are evident in the way he plays the game,” Weissman writes.
“When playing offense, Hunter is a big-play threat whenever he touches the football. He displays rare ability with the ball in his hands and has outstanding start/stop quickness and lateral agility to make defenders miss in the open field.”
The fact that there’s even a debate about what position he’ll be elite at is a testament to Hunter’s one-of-one skill set. Regardless of which team picks him early in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they’ll have a foundational building block to work with, perhaps on both sides of the ball.