Travis Hunter turned the corner as a receiver.
Until Thursday night, the prevailing opinion was that CU’s two-way star would play defense in the NFL. After watching him in person for the first time, I no longer think that’s the case. He is a playmaker, exactly the kind of mismatch the Broncos need.
Early mock drafts project Hunter to go around the 10th pick — a conservative estimate that would benefit Denver if the Broncos finish with say, seven wins. But no one should be surprised if he is taken several picks before that.
If he is on the board, the Broncos must take him. Move up a few spots, if necessary, to get him.
You’ve watched the Broncos offense, right? If Hunter showed up in Seattle on Sept. 8, he would already be their most explosive weapon. Without working out once with the team.
“I don’t even see him in practice every day,” admitted quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a nod to Hunter splitting his reps on both sides of the ball.
After the greasy win over North Dakota State, I expected fans in the tunnel leading up to the locker room to ask for Hunter’s autograph and his blessing. He was that good. The kind of special sauce that turns a hamburger into a delicacy you drive 50 miles out of the way to order. You don’t think Hunter would make the Broncos way better?
He boasts elite speed, runs precise routes and has even mastered the Michael Irvin push-off. He probably should have been called for offensive interference twice but escaped both times.
He bends like an air dancer in front of a car dealership and is capable of contorting his body like a contestant fitting in a box on “America’s Got Talent.” As for his hands? They are sticky.
“First of all, there ain’t no 50-50 ball with Travis,” Buffs coach Deion Sanders said. “If the ball is up close to him, it’s his ball. He’s that kind of athlete.”
For all those who grouse that this is an overreaction to Hunter working over undersized and heavy-footed Bison, that’s fair. But Hunter does this to everyone. He posted three 100-yard games last year, including at Utah when the Buffs were playing a walk-on at quarterback.
It’s not them. It’s him.
Don’t take my word for it. Scroll through social media. Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II tweeted, “Travis is one of one. Neva seen anything like it.”
Added Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill, “Whoever get that first pick, (I don’t care) if you need a lineman or QB. Travis Hunter is one of one.”
LeBron James called him “RIDICULOUS!!!!”
Hunter finished with seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns on 55 snaps. He allowed three catches for 18 yards in 69 defensive snaps. He sat out three plays. His last touchdown is the moment that should make Broncos scouts pound the table for him next April. He created space off the line of scrimmage with quick feet and a head fake, then caught a ball through the defender as he was being arm-barred around his neck.
It wasn’t a catch. It was a glitch. Matrix-type stuff. Uh-oh, here comes Neo.
While Hunter is a big deal — I would push his Heisman campaign over Sanders because of versatility — he is not big. This is the lone concern about him this season. And next year in the NFL.
Durability is a factor. He has never made it through a college season without getting injured. He is listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. That is before the game, of course. He probably finishes around 175. His endurance is worthy of a Tour de France cyclist. But at times, he looks their size. Can he take the punishment and stay on the field?
There is a comp that makes me believe he can.
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Hunter reminds me of 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. Known as the “Slim Reaper,” Smith is really thin. Yet he has averaged 80 catches, 1,059 yards and six touchdowns in his first three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. You know who has posted that kind of production for the Broncos over the last three seasons? No one.
Charles Woodson is the only player who comes close to Hunter in recent memory. He is college football’s Shohei Ohtani.
Hunter is shy, rarely talks to the media. A 4.0 student, his life is football, his fiancée and making funny videos for his 1.4 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
After the season-opening victory, Hunter provided a peek into his confidence. He told me that even when he is covered, he is “always” open. He’s right. When the draft rolls around the Broncos should pick him. Case closed.
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