Deion Sanders talks up 2-way star Travis Hunter: ‘He’s something we haven’t seen in college football’
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Deion Sanders made some bold claims about Colorado star Travis Hunter at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday.
A former No. 1 overall prospect coming out of high school, Hunter lived up to the hype last season — and then some — in his first year of FBS football. Hunter starred on both offense and defense for the Buffs and was one of the Pac-12’s best overall players.
As a receiver, Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense, Hunter was one of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12 last season when healthy. He finished the season with 30 tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 pass deflections.
For his efforts, Hunter took home the Paul Hornung Award — which is given annually to the “most versatile player in major college football.” It marked the first time in over 20 years that a Colorado player has won a national individual award.
Now, heading into his 2nd season at Colorado, Hunter has elevated expectations. Betting markets consider him a long shot to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy, but he’s near other stars such as Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon at some books. FanDuel has Hunter at +6500 to win the award.
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At Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday, Sanders spoke about Hunter alongside some of the best 2-way players in college football history.
“He’s something we haven’t seen in college football. Charles Woodson was him, Champ Bailey was him, those guys are unbelievable,” Sanders said at Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday. “But (Travis), he’s the best wide receiver in college football and he’s the best cornerback in college football.”
That wasn’t all Sanders said.
In an interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Sanders predicted that Hunter and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could end up as the top 2 picks in next year’s draft.
“They can be 1 and 2,” Sanders said. “Based on need and desire from the league. They could be 1 and 2. I don’t see many flaws, if there’s many flaws, in their games. They don’t give a darn about that though. What they want to do is win.”
Here’s our @SportsCenter hit with Colorado coach Deion Sanders. He predicts that Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter could be the Top 2 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/uC1DSfWmq4
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 10, 2024
Hunter and Sanders are both firmly in the mix to be top picks in next year’s NFL Draft, depending on how they perform in 2024. It seems unlikely Hunter would be able to continue playing both sides isn the NFL, but his elite athleticism and versatility should be viewed as major assets by NFL franchises.
FanDuel lists Hunter at +3000 to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders is amongst the favorites at +500 to be selected with the top pick.
Sanders and Colorado will need Hunter to reach his potential in order for the Buffs to take another step forward this season. FanDuel currently has Colorado’s regular-season win total set at 5.5 wins, meaning Sanders’ team would have to exceed expectations to reach the postseason.
Colorado will open the 2024 season against North Dakota State on Aug. 29.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
