Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter on what position he wants to play in the NFL, his unique NIL … [+] partnership and his thoughts on beating the Colorado State Rams. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
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Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter is arguably the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
The wide receiver/defensive back is the Shohei Ohtani of college football, a phenom that has never been seen before during the modern days of college football. Not only does Hunter play the role of both wide receiver and defensive back, he excels at both positions. He’s an elite player as a pass catcher and while defending opposing receivers.
To top it all off, the 21-year-old doesn’t take any breaks — he plays full games on both sides of the football. Hunter played 123 of a possible 138 snaps in the Buffaloes’ win over their key rival, the Colorado State Rams, this past week. He’s averaging 129 snaps per game, which is obviously the most of any player in college football.
While it’s clear that the junior star will be a first-round draft pick — and likely among the top 10 picks — if he declares for the 2025 NFL Draft, he isn’t showing a preference for any specific position by the time he enters the draft. In fact, he wants to continue to play both positions when he plays in the NFL.
“My goal is to continue to be a two-way player,” says Hunter in a one-on-one interview. “If given the opportunity, I’d strive to continue making an impact on both ends of the field, helping my team wherever they need me most. One of my greatest strengths is my versatility as a player, and I love the challenge of learning and excelling in both roles and pushing my limits.”
If Hunter were to continue playing both positions while excelling at an elite level, he’d become the first NFL player to do so in the modern era. His head coach, Deion Sanders, played both cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL, including seeing prominent playing time as a wide receiver during the 1996 season with the Dallas Cowboys. However, Sanders excelled as a cornerback at an elite level and not as a wide receiver. Hunter is already doing it at the college level and could very well do the same at the pro level.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound star ranks second in the nation with 10 receptions per game, ninth in receiving yards at 114 yards per game and second in touchdown catches with five.
Hunter explains how he’s able to keep his conditioning level up in order to play a full game on both offense and defense.
“My workouts for this season have been focused on full-body strength and conditioning,” says Hunter. “I’ve been working a lot with the battle ropes to help build up my endurance and power. With the positions I play, increasing my speed and agility have been big goals that I’ve kept in mind to ensure that I’m performing at the top of my game every week.”
While Hunter is clearly excelling on the field, he’s also doing so off of the field. It’s no secret that Hunter is one of the highest-earning collegiate athletes with his NIL deals, ranking third among all college football players with an NIL valuation of $2.3 million.
Hunter is beginning a unique NIL partnership with NerdWallet that requires athletes to commit to a smart money action and publicly share contract terms for accountability — it’s termed the “Smartest NIL Deal Ever” by NerdWallet.
The two-way star explains exactly what this means when it comes to his partnership with the personal finance company, which just so happens to be a partner of the University of Colorado.
“They approached me with the Smartest NIL Deal Ever and I liked how unique the deal was,” explains Hunter. “It’s different from other deals in that it prioritizes my financial future. NerdWallet empowers people to make smart money decisions, and with this deal, I feel in control. I committed to putting 20% of my earnings into a savings account to plan for my future. I think that deals like this are game-changers for college athletes like me, because they are teaching us to think ahead and set ourselves up for financial success.”
Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter showing off his NIL partnership with NerdWallet.
NerdWallet
The partnership also includes a unique opportunity for consumers to win a one-of-a-kind NIL deal card featuring Hunter which features a piece of the contract. People can earn a chance at winning the card by commenting and tagging a friend on Hunter’s Instagram post starting Friday.
“I worked with NerdWallet to create a NerdWallet x Travis Hunter 1 of 1 Smartest NIL Deal Card – an original, signed, card containing a piece of the contract,” says Hunter. “I’m really looking forward to giving it away.”
Colorado Buffaloes’ Travis Hunter’s “Smartest NIL Deal” card that will be given away to one winner.
NerdWallet
Hunter will look to continue his hot start to the season when the Buffaloes host the Baylor Bears to open Big 12 conference play in their homecoming game on Saturday. The game comes just a week after Hunter turned in a huge performance with 13 catches for 100 yards and two receiving touchdowns to go along with five tackles and an interception. It was Hunter’s first interception since September 2, 2023, in their season opener.
“Getting that inception and contributing to our team’s win feels amazing,” says Hunter. “It’s a reminder of what we can do as a team when we show up together and support and protect each other on and off the field.”
The Buffaloes also turned in a dominant performance over their biggest rivals, a 28-9 win, which came days CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi trash talked Colorado in an interview in a reference to the Rams’ near upset of the Buffaloes last season.
Hunter isn’t hiding his satisfaction in defeating his in-state rivals.
“It was very important to win this game against Colorado State,” says Hunter. “The anticipation was high, and our team put in the hard work, meticulously focusing on our drills and plays. I’m really proud of how our team performed. We came out fast and played hard to execute our game plan effectively from the start. It felt incredible to see all our efforts come together to secure the victory.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 07:55:00
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