Travis Hunter Faces NFL Tug-of-War Over Playing Both Sides of the Ball

Travis Hunter, the electrifying college football phenom, is entering the NFL with a debate hotter than a summer training camp: Can he really dominate both as a wide receiver and a cornerback in the pros, just like he did in college?

While some dream of Hunter flipping seamlessly between offense and defense, former Super Bowl champ Ed McCaffrey has a more grounded take. He says Hunter should take a page from his old college coach Deion Sanders, who was legendary as a cornerback but only dabbled in wide receiver territory. In McCaffrey's view, Hunter’s best bet is to focus on cornerback where he’s "more valuable" and unlikely to keep up the full-time double duty that made him a highlight machine in college. "Maybe for a game or once in a while," McCaffrey mused, "but long-term, I don't think you can hold up." Gotta love the NFL for being the one place where superhuman college heroes suddenly start looking very, very mortal.

McCaffrey, who’s watched his own sons morph through nearly every position in football, isn’t totally ruling out Hunter as a receiver. He just thinks Hunter's defensive skills are more polished at the moment, and his offensive play would need a bit more seasoning. "He could play receiver, absolutely," McCaffrey said, "but most teams want him as that lockdown corner." Translation: NFL coaches like their unicorns, but only if they color inside the lines.

Hunter, for his part, isn’t down with the idea of being pigeonholed. In a recent interview, he declared he’d "never play football again" if forced to pick just one position. The guy clearly wants to break the gridiron mold, and looking at his stats from last season, you see why: 96 catches, 1,258 yards, and 15 touchdowns as a receiver, plus 35 tackles, four interceptions, and a forced fumble on defense. And yes, he logged a wild 1,400+ snaps doing all this. Somebody get this man an IV drip between halves.

Currently, the Cleveland Browns are said to be the frontrunners for Hunter in the upcoming draft. Their GM, Andrew Berry, called him a "unicorn" who could play both spots, but sees him "primarily" as a receiver. So, the NFL’s about to find out if Hunter can really rewrite the rules—or if he’s going to have to pick a lane like everyone else.