Travis Hunter's Attempt to Play Both Ways Will Define 2025

Being a two-way player outside of high school football is a rarity in college football and the NFL. Very few have attempted to be the outlier in this regard, and Travis Hunter is trying to be the one to do so.

Hunter was the Heisman Trophy winner last season, being an outstanding wide receiver and high-level cornerback as a full-time player on both sides of the ball. His world-class athleticism and stamina have allowed him to play as well as he has at two positions that require an unbelievable amount of exertion of energy and stamina.

However, Hunter's transition to being a two-way player in the NFL presents a significant challenge. In order to be a full-time player on either end, he must be a participant in meetings for both cornerbacks and wide receivers, which may occur at the same time, putting head coach Liam Coen and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile in a tough spot and creating a delicate balance.

Greg Cosell, a well-respected NFL analyst and executive producer of ESPN's NFL Matchup, voiced these concerns in a recent episode of the Ross Tucker Podcast.

"Liam Coen’s offense, assuming he is a wide receiver first, which apparently he is, there is a ton of motion, there’s a ton of formations, he’s got to learn all of that," Cosell said.

Coen's offense resembles the McVay-Shanahan principled offenses that involve a significant amount of detail and put wide receivers at the forefront of the unit, making them wideout-friendly in plenty of regards. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is also one of the most creative run game coaches in the game, which adds more to a wideout's plate than some would believe.

Cosell notes that while Hunter may be a special player and could potentially pull off the impossible of being a full-time wide receiver and cornerback, but the details on both sides of the ball will make the task challenging for the 2025 No. 2 overall selection.

"So, I mean, again, he may be that special guy we may have never seen before," Cosell said. "I’m not going to sit here and say he can’t do it, but there is so much detail in that offense that he has to learn, you know, he can’t sit in two meetings at the same time."

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