Even as somebody who runs routes for a living, Travis Hunter can’t escape a reality where the lines between versatility and confusion are blurred. Being a one-of-a-kind, unprecedented unicorn sure has its perks. It helped Hunter join an exclusive club of non-QBs to win the Heisman Trophy. It’s earned him reverence from football fans and his peers alike. But being a trailblazer also has a weird drawback. Nobody’s come across one or seems to know how to deal with one! As he waits to imminently be drafted and ascend to the NFL, Hunter is still unsure about his primary position. But a sliver of light has just been shed on this conundrum.

Put your ear toward the discourse around Hunter, and you quickly realize there’s a split of opinions. Some ex-pros, analysts, and fans think Travis Hunter is best suited to being a cornerback. He’s also utilized in certain personnel groupings, offensive packages, and game situations as a wide receiver. Conversely, there’s a vocal crowd that thinks he’ll primarily play WR. There is unanimous agreement on one thing, though – he can’t continue doing what he did in college, which is playing essentially every snap of every game. The rationale is simple. Doing so will shorten his career. Not only that, but over time, it will also lead to diminishing returns both offensively and defensively. So, assuming giving more weightage to one side is mandatory, what’s Hunter’s personal preference?

Down in Indy, Travis Hunter participated in drills at the Combine as a cornerback. But at Colorado’s Pro Day, he exclusively caught passes off Shedeur Sanders. Seems like he’s keeping his options open, opting into ambiguity rather than forcing his future team’s hand. This does make sense in light of recent events. Over the last week, there’s been a lot of reasons to suggest Hunter’s headed to the Cleveland Browns with the 2nd overall pick. Over on X, Adam Schefter said, “There are signs that point to the Browns now using the No. 2 overall pick on Colorado standout Travis Hunter.” This was preceded by odds over the betting markets for Hunter to go 2nd crashing. He’s now a considerable favorite, and Vegas isn’t in the business of losing money. All the signs point toward the Browns. This leads into ESPN’s Field Yates spilling the latest tea on this entire ordeal.

Over on Get Up, Yates broke down his colleague Mel Kiper’s mock draft 4.0. No prizes for guessing he had Travis Hunter slated for the Browns at #2. But now that this part of the puzzle is clearer, the discussion pertained to how the franchise will utilize Hunter. The Browns aren’t in the greatest of shape personnel-wise, so both options are on the board. Kiper said he’d expect them to play him primarily at WR. The Browns’ current receiving corps only has one weapon of note in Jerry Jeudy. A tandem with Hunter really would accentuate a struggling pass offense. Mind you, the Browns are also touted to draft a QB in the later rounds. Yates, however, had some intel that suggests things are more up in the air.

“The biggest piece of feedback that I got was – us in the media spend a lot of time trying to devise a plan for what it’s going to look like for Travis Hunter at the NFL level. NFL teams’ mindset is, ‘We’re going to bring the kid in, and we’re going to figure it out. Because we’re not putting the ceiling on Travis Hunter.’” Yates said. Welp. Seems like there’s going to be no conclusive answer to this dilemma for a very long time. Alas, Travis himself had a few words for Commissioner Roger Goodell that fanned the flames of this equal parts captivating and long-drawn saga.

Travis Hunter makes a demand to Roger Goodell for draft night

Travis Hunter has maintained through this draft process that he wants to play both sides at a high clip. In fact, he even suggested he’s open to continuing where he left off- play every snap, every down. He was asked how this is possible, but from a different perspective to the physical restrictions. Up in Colorado Pro Day, he was confronted about how he plans to prepare for 2 full-time positions from a strategic standpoint. In terms of watching film, team meetings and general preparation. “We got 24 hours in a day. We sleep for 8 of those. So we got 16 more dedicated to that,” he replied. That epitomizes the dedication he has for the game. 

In a different question on Pro Day, Hunter was asked how he’d want Roger Goodell to address him on draft night. “He better say wide receiver and DB,” resounded Travis Hunter. “I need him to say wide receiver and DB.” Damn right. With how unclear things are right now, you’d think the commissioner would oblige. 

There’s credibility on both sides of the argument about Hunter’s foremost role. Which is why the argument doesn’t seem to be nearing an end. His versatility is truly a gift. But in a twisted way, it’s also a curse that most players don’t have to deal with. If Hunter indeed winds up with the Cleveland Browns, he’d hope he’s given the license to express himself to the fullest.