We all know that Colorado’s Travis Hunter is extraordinarily talented, but no one is quite sure what his best position as a professional will be once he is drafted in 2025. NFL Draft.
I watched Hunter closely in 2023 and can’t say I have any idea if he would be better off at wide receiver or cornerback at the next level. Instead of making a concrete statement whether now, which would be ridiculous, I’ll let the Hunter 2024 movie point me in the right direction.
This is the second update of this piece. I wrote a detailed breakdown from what I saw in Colorado’s season-opening win against North Dakota State after that game.
When it feels necessary, I’ll check back with pertinent scouting updates providing a look behind the scouting curtain, outlining what I’m looking for and what I’ve seen from Hunter at cornerback and receiver throughout the year before making a final decision on his. best way to NFL stardom I hope you will follow along!
Now let’s get into my thoughts after Hunter’s tremendous start to his 2024 campaign at Colorado.
Cornerback
Now four games into the 2024 season, Hunter has had 14 throws into his end zone and allowed 11 receptions for a minuscule 75 yards with one interception and one pass. That advanced stat line is a limit unfathomable.
Beyond that coverage stinginess, which includes just 37 yards after the catch surrendered, Hunter was a force as a tackler. He’s still one short and has 10 stops — which are tackles that constitute a “loss” for the offense based on downs and distance. That figure is tied for the most among all cornerbacks in the nation.
Check out these two tackles for a loss against Nebraska and Baylor respectively. Both begin with evidence of Hunter’s high-IQ game recognition and end with how he taps into his superior athletic gifts as a tackler.
Of course teams want quality tacklers at all positions, but it seems coaches understand that their cornerbacks won’t necessarily be as adept at getting ball carriers down the field as their linebacker or defensive line counterparts. What Hunter lacks in girth and size and pure handling, he more than makes up for with a quick, hot style as a tackler in space. And making those effects plays on screens is essential today because of the trend of those plays in the NFL.
Now let’s get to Hunter’s cover chops. It is almost impossible to find a representative on film in which he is clearly beaten because of the athletic gifts of the receiver or the scheme, unless Colorado is in a zone when the responsibility is unclear to assign “blame” for receptions allowed.
Hunter mostly stuck like glue to wide parts, both under and down the field.
Those are textbook covered snaps with disruptions at the catch point on two completely different routes, one from the slot, one from the boundary. While Hunter doesn’t look particularly long or overly tall, playing on the perimeter these days is much less about sheer size and length and more about determination at the catch point, and Hunter certainly brings that every chance he can get.
After an impressive 2023 in coverage, Hunter took his game to another level at the cornerback position, regardless of pre-snap alignment or matchup. The film was borderline spectacular, and the features jump off the screen on defense every game.
Wide receiver
Hunter has the sixth-most receiving yards in the country — 472 — with 37 receptions, which is the fourth-most catches among all wide receivers at the FBS level. And only three pass catchers have more than his five receiving touchdowns.
Hunter clearly established himself as the number 1 receiver of Colorado and, despite additional attention from opposing defenses, his production was stable in the first month of action of the season.
Gross valuations are not always about pure production. But Hunter was not simply slated in this fiery start. Check out the veteran-esque patience and nasty crossover in this edition of press coverage in the tight red zone against Colorado State, which provided Shedeur Sanders with a candidate for the easiest touchdown of the season.
But the foundation of success in the NFL at receiver isn’t as much about destroying press-man coverage as it was not too long ago. There is a case to be made that yardage ability after the catch is now one of the top priorities at the position.
And Hunter flashed plenty of YAC talent. He has forced seven missed tackles on his 37 catches so far. Here are some great examples of how skilled Hunter is with the ball in his hands due to his flexibility and sheer explosiveness.
The most striking observation I’ve made watching the past three games of Hunter’s brilliance has been how next-level his spatial awareness is, and how it’s married to his footwork and body control. He shows examples of how quickly he works defenders in traffic and can navigate around them while maintaining his speed.
It’s like the play is happening at half speed for his mind. There was even a catch against Baylor in which Hunter looks back at Sanders, sees him throw the long ball, so he puts his head down to get more speed, then tracks the ball down and makes a tough catch in traffic.
Those three wobbles are as smart as I’ve seen from many NFL receivers. Seriously. On those shallow crosses, many professionals would meet one of the defenders. The diving catch was likely a route improvisation by Hunter, and it showed how his spatial awareness — and understanding of the entire route concept on the play — can lead him to quickly locate open space and get there in a flash.
Conclusion (after first month of the season)
This turned out to be much more difficult than I originally expected. Hunter was that good at cornerback and receiver. However, I still believe that Hunter appears to be more dynamic and refined at receiver, and this great spatial awareness gives him more advantages on offense.
require.config({“baseUrl”:”https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-0786/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build”,”config”:{“version”:{“fly/components/accordion”:”1.0″,”fly/components/alert”:”1.0″,”fly/components/base”:”1.0″,”fly/components/carousel”:”1.0″,”fly/components/dropdown”:”1.0″,”fly/components/fixate”:”1.0″,”fly/components/form-validate”:”1.0″,”fly/components/image-gallery”:”1.0″,”fly/components/iframe-messenger”:”1.0″,”fly/components/load-more”:”1.0″,”fly/components/load-more-article”:”1.0″,”fly/components/load-more-scroll”:”1.0″,”fly/components/loading”:”1.0″,”fly/components/modal”:”1.0″,”fly/components/modal-iframe”:”1.0″,”fly/components/network-bar”:”1.0″,”fly/components/poll”:”1.0″,”fly/components/search-player”:”1.0″,”fly/components/social-button”:”1.0″,”fly/components/social-counts”:”1.0″,”fly/components/social-links”:”1.0″,”fly/components/tabs”:”1.0″,”fly/components/video”:”1.0″,”fly/libs/easy-xdm”:”2.4.17.1″,”fly/libs/jquery.cookie”:”1.2″,”fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce”:”1.1″,”fly/libs/jquery.widget”:”1.9.2″,”fly/libs/omniture.s-code”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init”:”1.0″,”fly/libs/jquery.mobile”:”1.3.2″,”fly/libs/backbone”:”1.0.0″,”fly/libs/underscore”:”1.5.1″,”fly/libs/jquery.easing”:”1.3″,”fly/managers/ad”:”2.0″,”fly/managers/components”:”1.0″,”fly/managers/cookie”:”1.0″,”fly/managers/debug”:”1.0″,”fly/managers/geo”:”1.0″,”fly/managers/gpt”:”4.3″,”fly/managers/history”:”2.0″,”fly/managers/madison”:”1.0″,”fly/managers/social-authentication”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/data-prefix”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/data-selector”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/function-natives”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/guid”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/log”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/object-helper”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/string-helper”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/string-vars”:”1.0″,”fly/utils/url-helper”:”1.0″,”libs/jshashtable”:”2.1″,”libs/select2″:”3.5.1″,”libs/jsonp”:”2.4.0″,”libs/jquery/mobile”:”1.4.5″,”libs/modernizr.custom”:”2.6.2″,”libs/velocity”:”1.2.2″,”libs/dataTables”:”1.10.6″,”libs/dataTables.fixedColumns”:”3.0.4″,”libs/dataTables.fixedHeader”:”2.1.2″,”libs/dateformat”:”1.0.3″,”libs/waypoints/infinite”:”3.1.1″,”libs/waypoints/inview”:”3.1.1″,”libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints”:”3.1.1″,”libs/waypoints/sticky”:”3.1.1″,”libs/jquery/dotdotdot”:”1.6.1″,”libs/jquery/flexslider”:”2.1″,”libs/jquery/lazyload”:”1.9.3″,”libs/jquery/maskedinput”:”1.3.1″,”libs/jquery/marquee”:”1.3.1″,”libs/jquery/numberformatter”:”1.2.3″,”libs/jquery/placeholder”:”0.2.4″,”libs/jquery/scrollbar”:”0.1.6″,”libs/jquery/tablesorter”:”2.0.5″,”libs/jquery/touchswipe”:”1.6.18″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch”:”0.2.3″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects”:”1.11.4″,”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker”:”1.11.4″}},”shim”:{“liveconnection/managers/connection”:{“deps”:[“liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4″]},”liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4”:{“exports”:”SockJS”},”libs/setValueFromArray”:{“exports”:”set”},”libs/getValueFromArray”:{“exports”:”get”},”fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2″:[“version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init”],”libs/backbone.marionette”:{“deps”:[“jquery”,”version!fly/libs/underscore”,”version!fly/libs/backbone”],”exports”:”Marionette”},”fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1″:{“exports”:”_”},”fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0″:{“deps”:[“version!fly/libs/underscore”,”jquery”],”exports”:”Backbone”},”libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4″:[“jquery”,”version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core”,”version!fly/libs/jquery.widget”],”libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1″:[“jquery”],”libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4″:[“jquery”,”version!libs/dataTables”],”libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2″:[“jquery”,”version!libs/dataTables”],”https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js”:[“https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js”]},”map”:{“*”:{“adobe-pass”:”https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js”,”facebook”:”https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js”,”facebook-debug”:”https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js”,”google”:”https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js”,”google-csa”:”https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js”,”google-javascript-api”:”https://www.google.com/jsapi”,”google-client-api”:”https://accounts.google.com/gsi/client”,”gpt”:”https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js”,”hlsjs”:”https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hls.js/1.0.7/hls.js”,”recaptcha”:”https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit”,”recaptcha_ajax”:”https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js”,”supreme-golf”:”https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js”,”taboola”:”https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js”,”twitter”:”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”,”video-avia”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.12.0/player/avia.min.js”,”video-avia-ui”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.12.0/plugins/ui/avia.ui.min.js”,”video-avia-gam”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.12.0/plugins/gam/avia.gam.min.js”,”video-avia-hls”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.12.0/plugins/hls/avia.hls.min.js”,”video-avia-playlist”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.12.0/plugins/playlist/avia.playlist.min.js”,”video-ima3″:”https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js”,”video-ima3-dai”:”https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3_dai.js”,”video-utils”:”https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js”,”video-vast-tracking”:”https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/sb55/vast-js/vtg-vast-client.js”}},”waitSeconds”:300});
