Travis Hunter has made it clear he wants to play wide receiver, in addition to cornerback, at the next level. He split his snaps almost evenly in his Heisman Trophy-winning season last year for Colorado, and wants to do it in the NFL too.
Hunter was recently on NBC Sports with former NFL quarterback Chris Simms and shared his tricks to beating cornerbacks when he was a wide receiver.
Hunter Reveals His Secrets When Lined Up as a Wide Receiver
Simms asked Hunter how he gets open as a wide receiver, and Hunter was more than happy to share how he gets cornerbacks to bite on the snap.
He explained that he starts by testing different types of releases and gauging their reactions.
“The first couple of run plays, I mess with the defender. I give them a different type of release to see what they bite on to see what they don’t bite on.”
Travis Hunter walks Chris Simms through his mindset when running routes as a WR. 🧠 pic.twitter.com/Zim06WNHti
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) April 16, 2025
Hunter also shared that he enjoys the mind games.
“So you just, kind of, got to play mind games with them. You’ve got to understand what they jump on and what they don’t jump on. And you’ve got to understand your best routes, too, and what more targets you get.”
He added that most defenders will try to keep him inside the lines, and he uses that to his advantage.
“A lot of people are scared of me. I’m going to go on the go ball, and I’m going to jump over the top of them and catch the ball. So a lot of them play me with outside leverage. So when I have a slant or something, it’s easy for me to slip them outside and take them back in.”
Hunter particularly enjoys beating his defender right away at the line of scrimmage.
“I like them at the line of scrimmage. Just much easier. It’s much easier to get somebody flipped and open at the line of scrimmage.”
Travis Hunter Threatens Not To Play If Not Allowed To Play Both Positions
His comments about the wide receiver position highlight what a unique prospect Hunter is. There have been several two-way stars in the NFL, but they have historically been excellent at one position while occasionally getting plays in the other.
Hunter wants to be the first true two-way star in the NFL and is determined to make it happen. In another recent interview, Hunter stated that he would quit football if he were not allowed to play on both sides of the ball.