Deion Sanders: Travis Hunter will thrive 'wherever you place him'

Travis Hunter made the move inside as a defensive back during the spring, but he’ll go pretty much wherever Deion Sanders needs him in the secondary.

The two-way star heads into 2024 as a Heisman candidate based on his abilities as a corner and wide receiver. Sanders fully expects his star player to “thrive.”

Despite an injury last year, Travis was electric whenever he was on the field in 2023.

“Yeah, he’s gonna be moved around,” Sanders said. “Travis is going to excel at wherever you place him. He’s that kind of a kid. He has that kind of character. He’s that kind of worker. He studies, he prepares, he loves the darn game of football. He loves to practice, he loves to play. You see him, by the time he’s done with the darn offense, he’s running over to the defense. I mean, who does that and don’t ever complain?”

Hunter moving inside is moreso a depth move. It gives Sanders the flexibility to get creative with his defensive backfield.

“So just moving inside just give us some more depth,” Sanders said. “I don’t know if he’s gonna start there. I know he’s gonna start but I don’t know if he’s gonna start in the slot or outside, whatever is best for us … So you probably didn’t get the chance to see him in the spring play in the slot, but he’s really good. He really is. So we just wanted to see a little more depth and versatility and we got four more corners coming.”

In nine games as a corner last season, Hunter had 30 total tackles, 22 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and five pass deflections.

While on offense, Hunter reeled in 57 catches for 721 yards, five touchdowns and 12.6 yards per catch. A full season, well, perhaps Hunter goes over 1,000 yards on offense and grabs a few more interceptions.

Moving around the defense certainly could give him more opportunities to make life difficult for opposing offenses.

As a member of the Class of 2022, Hunter was a five-star recruit out of Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 athlete in the class and the No. 2 overall prospect in the class.

After originally committing to Florida State, Hunter flipped to Jackson State to play for Sanders in a historic move in recruiting. Following him to Colorado, Hunter only saw his skill and star power grow.