Colorado's Deion Sanders Says Travis Hunter 'Gotta Play Both Ways' in NFL

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders believes two-way phenom Travis Hunter will have to continue being himself in the NFL if the team that drafts him wants him to excel.

During a behind-the-scenes video (12:45 mark), Sanders said Hunter, who plays both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes, should play both offense and defense at the professional level.

"NFL got a problem. What you gonna draft him as? And... he's gotta play both ways. 'Cause he has value on both sides of the ball," Sanders said.

In his first year at Colorado, Hunter was a consensus All-American and won the 2023 Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football. He appeared in nine games for the Buffaloes and recorded 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns on offense and 22 total tackles, five passes defended and three interceptions on defense.

Hunter is eligible to declare for the NFL draft after his junior season. Whether he's drafted as a receiver or cornerback will have ramifications on his future earnings, as the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL makes $21 million per year while the highest-paid receiver makes an annual salary of $30 million.

Still, it's clear that the team that drafts Hunter will be getting a unique talent who can impact the game in a variety of ways.