Why Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is ‘two players in one’ and such a rare talent in college football

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN

(CNN) — One of the rarest qualities in all of team sports is the ability to impact a game in multiple ways.

Athletes are seldom able to sway contests both offensively and defensively to an equal degree and those who are – referred to as two-way players – become some of the most highly coveted stars in their respective professions.

The term two-way player has become everyday parlance in various sports when referring to greats such as basketball’s Giannis Antetokounmpo or baseball’s Shohei Ohtani, but it is incredibly unique when it comes to football.

Only a handful of players have carried out multiple roles on the football field, like Devin Hester, Deion Sanders and Julian Edelman. Now, Travis Hunter is the latest to prove that one can excel on both offense and defense. The newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner has starred for the Colorado Buffaloes on both sides of the ball in equal measure during a remarkable collegiate season.

Playing at both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter has put together a year for the history books, which culminated in joining the select few to win the Heisman Trophy.

‘A standout on both sides’

The Buffaloes star has been a revelation on both sides of the ball throughout his time in Colorado and this season he has taken his game to the next level.

“There have been guys who have played both sides, though honestly not many that have done it full time, but not at this level,” Stewart Mandel, editor-in-chief of college football at The Athletic, told CNN Sport.

“He is one of, if not the, best cornerbacks in college football and he’s a 1,000-yard receiver, it’s incredible.”

Hunter’s unique ability to create an impact on any given snap is what has separated him from the rest of college football during the season.

The Colorado stand-out averages a barely believable 118 snaps per game, per PFF. These are spread out evenly across both his roles with Hunter playing 709 offensive snaps on the season alongside 713 defensive snaps.

“It’s incredible just that he plays that many snaps a game, much less at such a high level,” Mandel added.

Hunter led the Buffaloes in receptions and receiving yards this season, amassing 1,152 yards on his 92 receptions. Unsurprisingly, he also leads the team in touchdowns with 15, including one rushing touchdown.

While doing all of this offensively, the 21-year-old has also imposed himself on the defensive side of the game. Hunter had four interceptions and broke up 11 passes during a season in which he cemented himself as an elite defender.

Mandel believes that Hunter’s extraordinary ability to play both sides of the ball in this fashion led to his Heisman success, and disputes the critics who believe Hunter is purely winning the award because of his snap count.

“His primary and what he was known for was cornerback, and receiver was just the other thing,” Mandel says. “He’s the number six receiver in the country, (with) 1,152 yards, and he’s a lockdown cornerback who’s had at least a couple of interceptions this season that were game-changing plays.

“So, absolutely a standout on both sides.”

This becomes even more evident from the haul of awards Hunter has picked up.

He was named Associated Press (AP) player of the year on Thursday, as well as receiving the Chuck Bednarik Award for defensive player of the year and, just hours later, the Fred Biletnikoff Award for receiver of the year.

One of the keys to harnessing Hunter’s immense ability has been playing under Sanders – also now known as Coach Prime – a former two-way player in his own right and current Colorado head coach.

“Coach Prime was the only coach who would consider allowing me to do what I’m doing,” said Hunter, per The AP. “He did it and knows what it takes – how much you have to be ready on both sides of the ball.”

In his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, Hunter said that Sanders had “changed my life forever,” and his relationship with the coach has been a key factor in the success of Hunter’s college career.

He made NCAA headlines before even stepping onto the football field when he shockingly turned his back on committing to the Florida State Seminoles in favor of the Jackson State Tigers.

The reason for doing this was simple: Coach Sanders.

“It starts with the fact that Travis Hunter was the No. 1 recruit in the country, he was expected to go to Florida State for a year, and on signing day, he shocked everybody,” Mandel says.

“Clearly, he set out in college football to specifically play for (Sanders) and followed him to Colorado when he got that job.”

Speaking to the coach was enough to persuade Hunter to follow Sanders to Jackson State, a HBCU and FCS school with far less football pedigree than Florida State, and then to Boulder and the Buffs.

“When I first talked to him, it was like, ‘I don’t care who he is, I don’t want to go there,’ but as I talked to him more, it’s like, ‘Oh, this might be the place I want to go.’ You know, he’s more than just a coach – he’s a father,” Hunter told the Pivot podcast.

Mandel said it is clear that Sanders, who he considers the greatest cornerback ever, has had a huge influence on Hunter’s development.

This partnership has been key in helping to maximize Hunter’s vast ability and there has been no bigger supporter of the Heisman winner’s desire to play both sides of the ball than his coach.

“He’s the best player in college football,” Sanders said after the Buffaloes’ 52-0 win over Oklahoma State. “Travis Hunter proved today, and he’s proved every week, that he is the best player in college football.”

There was only ever one Heisman winner in the eyes of Coach Prime.

“Travis is him. Travis is that dude. Nobody could deal with him on either side of the ball,” Sanders added.

Sanders’ son and Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders also had no doubts about who he felt deserved to win the prize.

“It’s no argument at this point,” the quarterback told reporters after the win against Oklahoma State.

It is obvious, too, that Hunter has no regrets in following his coach to Colorado via Jackson State.

“I texted him a couple of games ago, I was like, ‘Coach, you changed my life forever.’ Just being able to see where I am at now. I don’t know where I would have been at if I went to Florida State,” Hunter said on The Pivot.

‘You’re getting two players in one’

Hunter is widely expected to be a high pick in next year’s NFL Draft and debates have already started about his ability to compete as a two-way player in the NFL.

“I want to play both sides of the ball,” Hunter told the Pivot. “A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it at the college level and I ended up doing it. I know there’s going to be a lot of people telling me I can’t do it in the NFL and I’m going to end up doing it.”

Mandel also believes in Hunter’s ability to do so at the highest level of football.

“I don’t see why not,” he said while also pointing out the difficulties of juggling both positions.

“It would be remarkable, but he’s done it for 12 games a year in college and college football has limits on how much guys can practice – 20-hour-a-week limits. There are no limits in the NFL, so I think he could do it.”

Whether Hunter will be able to succeed on both sides of the ball in the NFL is yet to be seen, but Mandel believes whoever drafts the phenom should be excited.

“At the very least, you’re getting a guy who could be an All-Pro cornerback and that’s a big deal,” Mandel said. “And you might be getting a guy who can also play receiver for you, you’re getting two players in one.

“I think there’s a reason he’s expected to go No. 1. No. 1’s usually a quarterback, but you have such a rare talent in Travis Hunter that a team will probably make him the No. 1 pick in the draft.”

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