Travis Hunter On Offense Or Defense? NFL Draft Evaluators Undecided

Former Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter’s ability as a dual-threat player is something never before seen at the top levels of college football. After a historic collegiate career, Hunter now embarks on the journey of becoming the best NFL player possible.

One of the burning questions remaining about Hunter isn’t if he’ll be a successful NFL player or not, it’s which side of the ball would he be more successful on, and if it’s possible that he could excel on both sides of the ball like he did in college.

With the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, leaks are dropping from various angels about what Hunter should do in his next level pursuits. ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates shared his findings after talking around with NFL evaluators and personnel from the Colorado NFL Showcase last week. As usual, the bag of answers was incredibly varied and possible outcomes for Hunter and his role on the next level are wide ranging.

Sep 2, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs after catching a ball in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

“One of the biggest talking points right now is how the team drafting Travis Hunter will utilize him. Full-time receiver and occasional corner? The inverse? How about an even split? While I was at the Colorado pro day, it became clear to me that a common mindset from some teams was that there's plenty of time to figure that out later. For now, Hunter is too rare of a talent and too exceptional on both sides of the ball to tether him to a plan before the draft,” said ESPN analyst Field Yates.

“The hay is mostly in the barn for teams with draft prep, but we'll continue to gather buzz about final visits for prospects to team facilities. A reminder about these visits: They can be for any number of reasons. In some cases, the team is strongly considering drafting the player. Other times, it can give a team a better understanding of a player's medical history, or it can give a team more information on a developmental prospect with little exposure. And yes, sometimes these visits are for teams to create the perception of interest in a player,” Yates concluded.

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Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

When Hunter’s name is called on draft night, there will be a much more defined expectation for what his usage will be like for that specific franchise. For the next ten days, the speculation will rage on as the draft community and NFL personnel alike weigh the reality of having no previous examples to base a player like Travis Hunter off of. Regardless, the next time Hunter takes the field, it’s going to be in an NFL jersey, and that’s surreal in itself.

From high school games on ESPN to Jackson State HBCU battles and primetime games at Colorado, Hunter has captivated the nation with his once-in-a-lifetime talent on the field. The opportunity for Hunter to prove himself to be the most unique player to ever play the game of football is right in front of him, and the journey to see if he can fulfill that potential will command attention from the football world once more.

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