Whether it’s Deion Sanders or Urban Meyer, they’ve all said one thing in common—Travis Hunter should be a top pick, and he should play both ways. Do you remember the conversation between Travis Hunter and Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson? The Buffs’ dual threat even won Johnson’s confidence about being a two-way phenom in the pro league. The legend questioned, “Now tell me this then that’s 120 plays what do you think? How many plays you think?” Hunter confidently replied, “I know I can play a 120.” It’s wild, but it looks like his dream of playing both offense and defense is getting more traction. This time, it’s Ryan Clark, the ex-Washington Redskins safety, jumping into the mix, backing Hunter up, and sending a pretty clear message to all 32 NFL teams eyeing him. As the Cleveland Browns come off as one of the hot pursuers, the NFL giant’s bold $600 million move has been the talk of the town.

Travis Hunter is a name that has raged in college football over the past couple of years. Deion Sanders’ favorite will now take that giant leap to the NFL. However, it has been a bumpy ride. He was initially hailed as one of the top picks. On the Nightcap podcast, Shannon Sharpe said, “Many scouts believe that the Browns will take Travis Hunter No.2 overall and focus on a quarterback later in the draft.”

Then came that cocky take on MLB star Shohei Ohtani’s two-way skills—“Ohtani, he’s a great player, but you gotta do a lot in football.” That kind of started a slide in his draft stock. Suddenly, folks were questioning his two-way potential in the pros and even digging into his personal life with his fiancée, Leanna Lenee. But amidst all this hoopla, Hunter stood firm in his decision. It’s two-way or no way for the 21-year-old.

Hunter did not bother to sugarcoat things and dished out an ultimatum in a conversation with CBS Sports on April 14. “It’s never playing football again. Because I’ve been doing it my whole life.” And what great timing it is for someone to back your goals! On April 15, Clark made an appearance on the NFL on ESPN podcast. The NFL legend shared, “If you don’t play Travis Hunter on both sides of the football, you don’t need to draft Travis Hunter in the top three. Travis Hunter is not a top three pick as a wide receiver.” For better analysis, he brought in a comparison lens. “Travis Hunter is not Julio Jones, Travis Hunter is not Randy Moss, Travis Hunter is not Larry Fitzgerald, Travis Hunter is not Marvin Harrison, Travis Hunter is not a top-three pick on the defensive side of the ball. He is not either of the Woodsons.” 

To Clark, legends like Champ Bailey and Deion Sanders are meant to be played for one skill position. However, Clark comes with what would suit Hunter the best. “So, if you don’t allow Travis Hunter to play both sides of the football, you actually waste a pick, at least that early on Travis Hunter.” What makes him so confident about Hunter’s dual-threat skills? 

In 2024, the 21-year-old played a significant 713 snaps on offense and another 748 on defense. That workload made the Buffs star unique; he’s the only player since at least 2017 to log over 250 snaps on both sides of the ball in a single season. Now, for anyone thinking the pro league’s faster, college football actually has a shorter average snap interval compared to the NFL. So, Hunter’s already shown he can handle a quicker pace. He’s got that green pass. Right now, the Cleveland Browns are the only program to cater to Hunter’s wish. However, they are also turning heads with a stadium deal. 

Travis Hunter’s hottest pursuer lands in trouble with a $600 million project 

Back in February, at the NFL Combine, the Browns general manager, Andrew Berry, was wooed by Hunter’s two-way power. He said, “In terms of Travis Hunter, cornerback or receiver, the answer is ‘yes.’ He can play both, and I think that’s what makes him special.” While most NFL giants want to dump their heavy expectations on the young chap, the Browns are likely to let Hunter pursue his wish. To fuel the speculations, Adam Schefter predicted that Cleveland would happily use their No.2 pick to bring the Colorado star home. 

He tweeted, “There are signs that point to the Browns now using the No. 2 overall pick on Colorado standout Travis Hunter.” While we have to wait till the NFL Draft to finally know the result, going by the buzz, the Haslams and public money for a Browns stadium run deep in Northeast Ohio. As per the reports, House Republicans passed the biennial state budget last week, which included $600 million in state-backed bonds for the Haslams’ project. But there is a catch.

Paying back those bonds could cost Ohio taxpayers nearly $1 billion. Unlike previous sports venue deals, in this case, 8 percent of the repayment taxes would come directly from the people who would use the stadium. This would include ticket taxes, parking fees, and taxes generated by the surrounding development. Sadly, Cleveland will not repay the loan. However, the team argues that this new stadium project and its development will generate sufficient tax revenue to pay back the debt over the next 25 years. While the residents land in a tough spot, let’s hope that Cleveland does not mess up with their Travis Hunter plan.