Colorado’s Travis Hunter turned heads during a 31-26 victory over ND State on Thursday night, making plays at both wide receiver and cornerback. His performance was so impressive that retired NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believes Hunter could become a star two-way player at the professional level.
“Travis Hunter keeps showing that he can and he SHOULD play both WR and CB in the NFL FULL TIME,” Griffin posted on X. “Man had 7 catches for 132 yards and 3 TDS at WR AND played 43 snaps on defense making tackles and locking down his side of the field. He is a UNICORN.”
But not everyone agrees with that opinion.
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson pumped the brakes on Hunter possibly dominating at two position in the NFL, suggesting the pro game is an entirely different animal.
I respect your perspective! But bro we grown men here !!! Ain’t nobody going both ways and cooking grown men 💯 NFL A different game RGIII! I love the young guy great player but NFL is a monster!! https://t.co/lp5lwZX6S4
— C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) August 30, 2024
There have been some two-way players throughout NFL history, but precious few played both offense and defense consistently since the AFL-NFL merger. More often than not, those players see a full workload at one position and then a few snaps at a secondary position. If what Griffin suggests came to pass, Hunter would be the first full-time two-way player in modern history.
While Hunter may be capable of playing both wide receiver and cornerback, it’s unlikely he could sustain the physical impact from two full-time roles. And that’s assuming a general manager and coaching staff would even permit such a thing given the inherent injury risk. Then, of course, there’s contractual side of things that would only complicate matters.
Hunter is an impressive athlete who will draw the eyes of many NFL scouts but as Gardner-Johnson notes, the NFL is a different monster. Teams will want him to play one position or the other, not both. And in the long run, that will end up being the best decision for the player.
