"He’s going to do that": Deion Sanders confirms Heisman winner Travis Hunter will continue as a two-way player in the NFL

Deion Sanders sent a warning to the the NFL considering drafting Travis Hunter in April. The Colorado coach made it clear that the Heisman Trophy winner intends to play on the offense and defense on the professional stage just as he did in college football.

Hunter has played both as a cornerback and a wide receiver in his three years under Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado. In his recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Deion Sanders warned teams not content with that to forget about drafting him.

“He’s going to do that (play both ways), or they shouldn’t draft him,” Sanders said (3:25 onwards). “Don’t do that. And I’m gonna make sure of that. Don’t draft him if you’re not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball. Now, you can be creative. He doesn’t have to do what we did with him here and play every snap.”

Deion Sanders claims Travis Hunter will leverage his college eligibility

Travis Hunter has just completed his junior year in college and still has a year of eligibility left in college football. This is set to be an advantage for the Colorado standout star in his discussions with NFL teams about playing two ways ahead of the draft.

Deion Sanders emphasized that Hunter holds a unique bargaining chip in his potential return to Colorado for another year of college football. He pointed out that this option could serve as powerful leverage if NFL teams fail to guarantee him opportunities to play both cornerback and receiver at the professional level.

“It’s going to be abundantly clear that this is what he wants,” Sanders told Eisen (timestamp 4:16). “This is who he is, and it’s not gonna work unless you entertain this and give him an assurance that this is what’s gonna happen. You gotta understand; Travis Hunter has another year of eligibility. So if you start the foolishness, he can do that.”

Michael Irvin encourages Travis Hunter to be clear with teams about his plan

Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has advised Travis Hunter to deliver a clear message to NFL teams about him playing on both sides of the ball in the league. A host of NFL teams are believed to be against the idea, contrary to Hunter’s intention.

“If I’m Travis Hunter, all jokes aside, I’m putting it out right now—If you’re not letting me play both ways don’t draft me,” Sanders said. “I fully intend to play both ways in the National Football League…I’m not letting them dictate my story. I’m telling you, ‘No, I’m playing both ways.'”

The debate continues over whether Hunter can succeed as a two-way player in the NFL. Playing both ways is significantly more challenging at the professional level, and past players who attempted it, including Deion Sanders, typically did so in limited roles.