CU football standout athlete Travis Hunter flashes a No. 1 with his finger after a win against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Travis Hunter Lands With Former Oregon Ducks Quarterback Tyler Shough in NFL Mock Draft

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI | By Zach Dimmitt | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 12:43 PM ET

Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning on the Potential of Defensive End Matayo Uiagalelei

A former Oregon Ducks quarterback is predicted to land with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

In recent mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., the Cleveland Browns select Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter in the first round at No. 2 overall and then use the first pick of the second round to snag former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough, who spent this past season with the Louisville Cardinals after playing the first two years of his college career in Eugene.

In his only season at Louisville, he finished 244 of 389 passing for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns -- all career-high marks -- to go along with six interceptions.

While the Browns don't need much of a reason to select the ultra-talented Hunter with the second overall pick, using the No. 33 overall selection to take an older quarterback in Shough could be a risk. But given Cleveland's current quarterback uncertainty, Kiper thinks the gamble could be well worth it for the Browns.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Deshaun Watson is out with a re-torn Achilles, and Kenny Pickett is the only other quarterback on the Browns' roster," Kiper wrote. "Shough has the arm strength to drive the ball in Cleveland weather, and he looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds. Some evaluators will be concerned by his age (turning 26 this year), but the flip side of that is his experience -- he has thrown 951 passes over 43 career games. He could compete with Pickett for starts."

Shough has been one of the fastest risers in this year's draft class. If he goes off the board at the start of the second round, it would be something that no one saw coming at the end of the college football season.

Shough played with Oregon during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. As a Duck, he went 118 of 182 passing for 1,703 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led Oregon to the Pac-12 Championship during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, taking down the USC Trojans in a 31-24 win. He ended that season completing 106 of 167 passes for 1,559 yards, 13 touchdowns and six picks.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Shough then transferred to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2021. He played three seasons in Lubbock, even getting a chance to face his former Oregon team in a 38-30 loss to the Ducks at Jones AT&T Stadium during the 2023 season.

Though Hunter will likely play on defense for the majority of his NFL career, Cleveland deploying him on offense during certain situations is not out of the question. His offensive ability is just too tough to ignore. Should this happen with Shough also on the roster, it's certainly possible that the former Duck connects with Hunter through the air at some point in the future.

Of course, mock drafts are only mere projections for the vast possibilities of what could happen on draft night. The 2025 NFL Draft begins on April 24 in Green Bay. Barring a trade, the Tennessee Titans will be on the clock at No. 1 overall.