Travis Hunter Is Poised to Change the Landscape of College Football's Two-way Player
This feels like a moment. Whether it's a movement or generational greatness simply passing through is still to be determined. But what's happening in Boulder, Colorado at this moment defies reasoning and explanation.
Naturally, the spotlight starts with college football's greatest showman and motivator. Deion Sanders has done everything he said he would and more. His program is 2-0, and the Buffaloes have doubled their wins from last season in two weeks.
Prime's program is shaped a lot like him: fast, brilliant, and willing to tell you how fast and brilliant it is. But for as robust as his star power is—and it's proving to be quite mighty early on—Colorado's most unique asset is a player doing something the sport has rarely seen.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Travis Hunter is not new to the college football world. Recruiting junkies known about him for years—long before he became the most versatile player in the country.
Before Colorado, Hunter was considered the No. 1 high school football player in America, according to 247Sports. Listed as a cornerback, Hunter joined Sanders at Jackson State, passing up offers from Alabama, Florida State, Clemson and others.
A few years later, Hunter is at a new school alongside the coach who originally recruited him. Through two games, he's played the overwhelming majority of snaps on offense, defense and occasionally even special teams.
More specifically, Hunter has played an astonishing 274 snaps in only two games. In those snaps, he's come up with a crucial interception in the red zone against TCU while also showcasing superb defensive back traits.
On offense, he's caught 14 passes for 192 yards. He ranks in the top 30 among all wideouts right now in both categories.
Hunter's play has catapulted into the Heisman mix, along with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. Currently, Hunter is 35/1 to win the award. He began the season at 300/1, although his performance against TCU during the first week meant the long odds didn't last for long.
The question now, of course, is simple: what's next?
For Hunter, the immediate is fascinating. With a "meh" slate of college football games on tap in Week 3, Colorado and Hunter will take center stage against Colorado State on Saturday night. The following week, the Buffaloes will take on Oregon in what promises to be one of the more unique matchups all season long.
Whether that season includes an unlikely run at a conference championship or a push for the Heisman will be decided in the weeks to follow. What's perhaps even more fascinating is how Hunter's double duty will translate across college football in the future.
More so than any sport, college football has a copycat foundation. From facilities to offenses to coaching contracts, the sport openly showcases its very linear evolution each year.
That theme carries down to recruiting, where talented high school football players—many of whom star on both sides of the ball at their current level—can't help but wonder if they're capable of a similar impact.
That is not to say that what Hunter is doing is easy or normal. He has rare physical gifts—and clearly tremendous stamina and endurance—that has played out brilliantly through only a handful of games.
Questions about this role are starting to take shape. How will this workload translate over a full season? Will the workload lessen as his total reps balloon? What is the increased injury risk of keeping a player on the field this much?
Is this a viable, long-term pathway? Or is the sample size too small?
"You got to understand everybody who's critical of that in saying, 'He's gonna tire, he's gonna do that,' shoot they can't cook and answer the phone at the same time," Sanders told ESPN. "I don't subscribe to that foolishness because that's who Travis is. Travis is special. He has a tremendous gift, and he wants to play."
Hunter is not the first player to double dip in this fashion, although the instances of true-impact, multi-position players are rare.
Linebackers Shaq Thompson and Myles Jack moonlighted at running backs for Washington and UCLA. Years earlier, Owen Marecic played fullback and linebacker for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford.
The most notable comparisons, however, require a deeper trip back in time.
Champ Bailey, formerly of Georgia, had enormous success as a defensive back and wideout before becoming a Hall of Fame worthy DB in the NFL. Chris Gamble, formerly of Ohio State, became a Swiss Army Knife for the Buckeyes in a similar role.
The gold standard two-way player, of course, is Charles Woodson. The former Michigan star won the Heisman by playing superb defensive back, contributing at wideout and making enormous plays on special teams.
In terms of output, Hunter has already surpassed Woodson's offensive production in only two games. His impact, at least early on, is far more regular in terms of on-field presence than anything the sport has seen in some time.
That is not a comparison of the two—at least not yet. But the pace Hunter is operating at is uncharted in modern CFB. The question, of course, is whether his path will be adopted by others.
To assume there will be a sudden abundance of star two-way players in light of Hunter would be unfair. What Hunter is doing is beyond exceptional. This is rarified air, and only a small percentage of players seem even capable of trying.
But the next wave of greatness is coming, and they're seeing the impact Hunter is having and the attention he is receiving. The desire to play multiple positions will ultimately be a talking point in future recruiting pitches—from both the player and coaches.
As Hunter's profile grows, so will this reenergized trend. History tells us that college football doesn't wait to duplicate successful blueprints. The sport moves quickly, and the demands from all parties shift the moment something new and exciting proves successful.
At the moment, one could argue that there is no greater success in college football than this. Time will tell if this can translate across a full season rather than a small sample size.
Hunter might just be the next unicorn capable of doing something few have been able to over the past three decades. Or maybe his presence, like most everything else in the sport, will simply be the first domino to fall.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
