Deion Sanders says Travis Hunter—Heisman Trophy winner for playing on both sides—should be used as a two-way player “all the time,” adding there’s no fair comparison to others. Hunter’s rookie season in 2024 ended early with a knee injury after the Jaguars spl
Deion Sanders keeps circling back to one point: Travis Hunter shouldn’t be treated like a part-time experiment.
Speaking in a recent interview after the Colorado coach said last month that the Jaguars never contacted him about Hunter. Sanders was asked again about whether Jacksonville would ever seek his input. “They’re not going to ask me,” Sanders told D.J. Saddiqi of Covers.com. “I thank God that you’re asking me. The kid won the Heisman Trophy playing both sides of the ball. That’s all I’ve got to say on that.”.
The Heisman reference matters because Sanders isn’t just talking about Hunter’s athleticism—he’s talking about usage. Hunter has already shown, in Sanders’ view, that the full-time version of his skillset isn’t a stretch.
Sanders later addressed how people try to compare Hunter to other players. “There’s no comparison to what he’s able to produce on the field,” Sanders said. “It’s no comparison. I can’t say who I would compare him to, because I would be lessening that person. That’s not fair to him or the persons that I’m comparing it to. He’s different, man.”.
In the NFL, though, the Jaguars have walked a cautious line. In 2025, they made Hunter a part-time two-way player, using him for roughly two-thirds of the offensive snaps in the seven games he played and roughly one-third of the defensive snaps.
Hunter’s rookie season ended prematurely with a knee injury. a development that fed the durability concerns raised whenever coaches take practice and game reps on both sides of the ball. In college, Hunter did it—strongly enough to win the sport’s biggest individual award. In the NFL. Sanders’ own words suggest. the question becomes how much of that college workload can be safely carried onto the field against the best competition.
The tension is hard to miss: Sanders argues for a constant two-way role built around Hunter’s production. while Jacksonville’s snap split and injury-shortened rookie season show how quickly the NFL can force teams to manage risk. Between those realities sits Hunter’s next football question—whether the “Heisman both-sides” version of him can hold up over a full pro season.
Deion Sanders Travis Hunter Colorado coach Jaguars Heisman Trophy two-way player NFL knee injury 2025 snaps