"The ceiling is a Hall of Famer" - Emmanuel Acho makes bold prediction about Travis Hunter

Emmanuel Acho made a statement about Travis Hunter’s future in the NFL on FS1’s “The Facility” on Thursday. The former football player and sports analyst said Hunter has the potential to become a Hall of Fame cornerback or a perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver, depending on which side of the ball he plays.

Acho compared Hunter’s defensive upside to that of Jalen Ramsey. Offensively, he acknowledged the depth of the current wide receiver class but said Hunter could still reach Pro Bowl status:

“If he plays on defense, I believe the ceiling is a Hall of Famer. I believe he can be a gold jacket guy. I see him having a very Jalen Ramsey-esque career, the best cornerback in football for about three to five years…

"If he plays wide receiver, I see him being a perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver. We are in the Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Malik Nabers, soon-to-be era.”

The 21-year-old transferred to Colorado in 2023. In his FBS debut, he played 147 snaps in a win over TCU, recording 11 receptions, 119 receiving yards, and an interception. That two-way ability defined his season. Despite missing three games due to injury, he finished with 57 catches for 721 yards and five TDs, plus three interceptions and 30 tackles on defense.

His 2024 campaign was even more productive. He opened the season with 132 yards and three TDs against North Dakota State. Later in the year, he forced a game-saving fumble at the goal line in overtime versus Baylor. He played nearly 1,400 total snaps — 382 more than any other player in the nation.

Based on his on-field production, Travis Hunter has proven he can play at a high level on both sides of the ball. However, he might not be able to play both in the NFL.

Travis Hunter highlights academic strength with near-4.0 GPA ahead of draft

Travis Hunter shared a detail about his off-field discipline hours before the draft began in Green Bay. At the Wednesday pre-draft event, the Colorado product disclosed his final GPA as an anthropology major, estimating it to be between 3.7 and 3.9.

Hunter has consistently balanced athletic and academic demands. He earned first-team Academic All-America honors for a second consecutive year and was named the College Sports Communicators’ Division I Academic All-American Team Member of the Year. That award placed him alongside past Heisman winners Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow.

When CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala asked about learning both offensive and defensive systems, Hunter said he’s used to that workload, describing it as something he's always done. Per FanDuel, Travis Hunter is projected to go No. 2 overall to the Browns.