Incomparable Travis Hunter has little left to prove as 2025 NFL Draft prospect

By his sophomore year at Collins Hill High School outside Atlanta, Travis Hunter was already drawing comparisons to one of the greatest football players whod ever lived.

No, not Deion Sanders.

Charles Woodson.

By the end of Hunters prep run, hed be declared the state of Georgias best two-way football player since Champ Bailey.

Advertisement Sacred names.

Football icons.

Hes the best football player Ive seen in my life, Lenny Gregory, Hunters high school coach, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ahead of his senior year.

Ive never seen him tired.

GO DEEPER Mandel's Final Thoughts: Remember Travis Hunter's dominance.

Plus, 'new' CFB is here Its not the crazy number of things Hunter can do on a football field that makes him different or the infinitely small number of things he cannot do.

Its how he makes the hardest stuff look so effortlessly easy.

Making a case for Hunters long-term future, on either offense or defense, is a complicated conversation.

Making a case for Hunter as college footballs best player and Heisman Trophy favorite is far less so.

A month into the 2024 season, Hunter is averaging (are you sitting down) 131 snaps per game.

He ranks fourth among FBS receivers with 37 catches, and sixth with 472 yards.

Hes allowed just 11 receptions for 75 yards in 142 coverage reps and has a top-10 coverage grade nationally, according to PFF.

During Saturdays 38-31 overtime win over Baylor , Hunter was on the field for 144 plays.

He made seven catches for 130 yards (his fourth straight 100-yard game to open 2024) while adding three tackles.

He sealed the win by forcing a fumble on the final snap of overtime.

Travis Hunter, man.

Big time players make big time plays.

https://t.co/SjpEM2sdwZ pic.twitter.com/GeUvFCErEU Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 22, 2024 What makes him so good? The easiest answer is that Hunters profile has no holes.

Hes the best athlete on the field, every time he plays.

Hes also one of the smartest.

A notorious film buff, Hunters preparation and instincts are off-the-charts good, on both sides of the ball.

The only gripe against him would be his weight, as hes a little on the thin side at a long 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds.

His athletic burst, acceleration, agility, balance and body control are all elite, though.

Most importantly, so are his ball skills.

This is one of the best interceptions youll see all season, from the way Hunter stays physical through the top of the route and undercuts himself at the break point to how hes able to extend and contort to make the play on an off-target throw.

Even if you can find another corner in America capable of doing this, the odds youll find one who can make that pick and still pull off a return are slim to none.

Advertisement The old joke of if defensive backs could catch, theyd play on offense holds true far more than it doesnt in the NFL , but it wont be the case for Hunter.

In 139 career targets as a college wide receiver, Hunter has dropped just two passes.

Not only are his ball skills the absolute best among college defensive backs, Hunters ball skills would be among the best in the NFL if he lined up for a team tomorrow.

Even in a potentially elite DB draft, with absolute beast corner prospects like Michigan s Will Johnson and Notre Dame s Benjamin Morrison , Hunter is arguably the class best coverage player especially when you consider how much time he puts in playing offense.

Hunter also has a case to be WR1 in the upcoming class, despite stellar players like Arizonas Tetairoa McMillan and Missouri s Luther Burden III lurking at the top.

Again, his ball skills are second to none.

There is not another player in college football on offense or defense who can track the ball, locate it, pluck it out of the air and maintain balance on Hunters level.

Hes built a terrific rapport with quarterback Shedeur Sanders , but hes also open on just about everything he runs.

Just like on defense, all of Hunters offensive movements are under control and at least a half-step in front of the nearest opponent.

Note the first route here the big post over the middle.

Watch how quickly Hunter gets his head around to locate Sanders, without slowing down even briefly.

Hes able to track that throw perfectly the entire way.

He has time to look upfield to check his landmark and get his head back around to find the ball before any defender even knows whats happening.

Advertisement People love to make the hes a video game player remark, but Hunters one of the few players for which its actually apt.

The guy accelerates and decelerates better than any skill player in the country, and his route running can leave defensive backs looking like toys at the end of a string.

His combination of body coordination and attention to detail, plus the ability to stay in complete control of his head and eyes while on a dead sprint, makes for the type of package one would input for a created video game character.

This is all sorts of fun.

Watch Colorado clear out space with those two vertical routes as Hunter leaks through traffic before completely baffling a linebacker on his way to another spectacular grab.

Note how quick and sharp Hunter is as he changes direction with a single step.

He runs with so much bounce and control, its not uncommon for defenders to fall over trying to mirror him.

Hunter was outstanding in the Baylor game.

On a pass attempt just before Colorado s Hail Mary to tie it at the end of regulation, Hunter completely shook two defenders to work himself wide open over the middle.

That move surely wouldve resulted in a touchdown had Sanders not been under pressure almost immediately at the snap.

Colorado also nearly hit a bomb on that final drive when four Baylor defenders went with Hunter to the right, leaving Will Sheppard singled up deep.

GO DEEPER What we learned about the CFP in Week 4: Clemson, Utah emerge while USC tumbles Durability, as much as anything, will be a huge factor in Hunters final spot in the 2025 NFL Draft, regardless of which position his next team wants him to play.

Should Hunter indeed declare for next springs draft, expect him to work out on both sides of the ball for teams throughout the process.

That would offer teams the chance to fully evaluate Hunters fit, and itd give Hunter an opportunity to show off how impressive an athlete he truly is.

In a year with no clear answer atop the quarterback, edge or offensive tackle draft rankings, the No.

1 spot overall might be debated for much longer than in recent years.

Weve never seen a cornerback drafted higher than No.

3, and weve only seen two receivers (Keyshawn Johnson and Irving Fryar) go No.

1.

But weve really never seen a Travis Hunter before, either.

And through the college seasons first month, its hard to argue theres been a better football player on offense or defense than Colorados No.

12.

(Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel / Imagn Images).

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