2025 Scouting Report: ATH Travis Hunter, Colorado

Bio:

Height: 6’0

Weight: 188

Schools: Jackson State (2022), Colorado (2023-2024)

Career Stats (WR): 30 games; 171 receptions, 2,167 yards, 24 TDs, 1 Rush TD

2024 Stats (WR): 13 games; 96 receptions, 1,258 yards, 15 TDs

Career Stats (CB): 87 tackles (63 solo, 24 assisted), 3.0 TFL, 9 INT, 26 PBU, 1 TD

2024 Stats (CB): 36 tackles (32 solo, 4 assisted), 1.0 TFL, 4 INT, 7 PBU, 1 TD

---

Travis Hunter should be the first overall pick in the draft. Not only is he one of THE BEST corners in the draft, but he’s also a top 5-7 WR in this year's class. This is a chance to draft the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL, and we all see what he has done for both LA teams. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want Shohei Ohtani on their team? Who in their right mind wouldn’t want Travis Hunter on their team?

When you’re scouting players, you eventually get a feel for things, and after a few plays, you can make an initial judgment call. Usually, in the dramatic ends of the spectrum, you can tell pretty quickly if someone is a star or a bust. With Travis Hunter, it was an obvious feeling. The unique thing about him is that I had that feeling twice, and that’s never happened before.

Travis Hunter will be a star cornerback.

Travis Hunter will be a star wide receiver.

People are scared of drafting Hunter, almost writing him off, in the media. They see the vision, but they don’t want to believe it. They can’t. We’ve had other two-way players in the past, obviously, but the last good one that was a legit starter on both sides was Chuck Bednarik in the 40s. Since the merger, we’ve had moments of two-way players like Hunter’s coach Deion Sanders, but Sanders was an all-pro CB and returner, with some gadget/gimmick plays on offense. Sanders didn’t have the all-pro WR tool in his bag (though he likely could have if he worked at it). Teams don’t question Hunter’s ability, they only question his durability. Everyone knows Hunter is great, but can he play both ways in the NFL? I don’t see why not. When you have a chance at making history, do you shy away, or do you take the leap?

The key to making Hunter work is managing his workload, a scary thing to hear especially for NBA fans, but in a physical sport, it is somewhat necessary.

If you let Travis play a full workload on defense he will likely see 3-5 tackles a game, that with a managed workload offensively, where he’ll also bring in 3-5+ receptions per game at those rates he’ll be seeing around 100 NFL level hits a season, which is no more than true #1 WR that are a QBs best friend, like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, and many others around his size. 

The biggest issue would be keeping Hunter from getting tired, but even that isn’t too difficult to work around. He’s been doing this for years in college, where they have more plays in an average game than the NFL. If you take him out in blowouts, whether winning or getting killed, you preserve his body. No special teams at all, and if you don’t have him block in the red zone a la Tank Dell, Hunter can truly do this. All it takes is one coach to see the truth, one coach to see the light and execute it properly.

The Film and Data on Travis Hunter… as a WR:

Travis Hunter was such a great receiver in college he might have played Shedeur Sanders into being a top 3 pick and possibly the first quarterback off the board. Hunter has elite ball-tracking skills because he’s had so much time to work on it. He has great instincts with the ball in the air and knows how to leverage his body to make incredible catches.

Travis is a great route-runner, particularly on the short stuff, and is even better after the catch. He would be a quarterback’s best friend. Travis Hunter is a Pro Bowl-caliber WR and is a pure playmaker at the position.

StrengthRtg	AgilityRtg	HandsRtg	HandsRtg	H	W	Last	First	Team	adjYds/Tgt	adjTgt/TD
5.306	8.630	8.910	5.081	73	188	Hunter	Travis	Colorado	10.1	8.3

… as a CB:

He also has some lockdown corner traits in his game. Hunter is incredibly agile, which we see offensively after the catch/on short routes. But he honed/perfected that ability defensively, able to keep up with the best route runners. 

The best part about Hunter as a corner is that his hands are incredible. He won’t drop interceptions as we see tons of other defensive players do. Hunter didn’t become a corner because he can’t catch, and after he gets an INT, he instantly turns into that amazing offensive playmaker we see after that catch. Hunter is a real threat with the ball in his hands, and he can and will shut down entire sides of offenses.

There are absolutely zero red flags with Hunter. At the Combine, he had a Shohei Ohtani comment, but that isn’t his personality. That comment seemed to be a comment that Deion constructed for him to build up more hype/stories about himself. Travis Hunter all season long was neck and neck with Ashton Jeanty for the Heisman trophy and while both were cocky about it, they were also both extremely humble along the way. Neither prospect diminished what the other candidate was doing.

CBGrade	H	W	Last	First	Team	CoverRtg	AgilityRtg	SpeedRtg	TklRtg
9.367	72	188	Hunter	Travis	Colorado	8.30	12.878	9.511	5.893

Draft Outlook:

A surefire first overall candidate in my eyes, particularly in a weak QB class. If Hunter falls because some team wants to take a QB, I can see that happening, but the BPA will always be Hunter until he goes. 

NFL Outlook:

Hunter will be as legendary as the tea, that drafts him allows him to be. I worry that wherever he gets drafted, the team just turns him into either a WR or CB, because NFL teams are often so close-minded. If Hunter’s body can only allow him to play both ways for one season, 5 seasons, or 10 seasons, you have to let him do it. There may never be a prospect like Hunter ever again.