Colorado star and Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter says he will enter the NFL draft

Colorado Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter said Thursday he plans to declare for the 2025 NFL draft.

“That’s definitely for sure,” Hunter, 21, told reporters when he was asked whether he intended to declare.

Hunter, a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, plays both cornerback and receiver for the Buffaloes. Many project him to be selected first overall in April.

Asked about playing both offense and defense as a professional, Hunter acknowledged it is rare, saying, “It’s never been done.”

He added: “I understand that it will be a high risk. [Teams] don’t want their top pick to go down too early, and I know they’re going to want me to be in a couple packages. But I believe I can do it. Nobody has stopped me from doing it thus far.”

In 10 games this season, Hunter has 74 receptions for 911 yards and nine touchdowns — all career bests. Defensively, he has three interceptions, eight passes defended and 23 tackles.

Hunter, a consensus five-star prospect, was a highly recruited player coming out of high school. He originally committed to Florida State before he flipped his commitment to Jackson State — becoming the first five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU.

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Hunter played for one season at Jackson State under head coach Deion Sanders, then transferred to Colorado before the 2023 season when Sanders took the head coaching job there.

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Last season, Hunter averaged close to 115 plays per game, participating on offense, defense and special teams.

Sanders’s son Shedeur, who plays quarterback for Colorado, is projected to be among the first signal callers selected in next year’s draft. Sanders, another player who could be a Heisman finalist, said Thursday that Hunter is the more deserving of the two to win the award.

“If it’s between me and him, I would want him to get it,” Sanders said. “He does a lot of amazing things and things that haven’t been done before. I’m not a selfish guy. I know what he’s capable of, so I would rather him win.”