Richard Sherman recently appeared on Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s podcast, where he shared an intriguing assessment of Colorado Buffaloes superstar Travis Hunter. Known for his dual-threat abilities as a cornerback and wide receiver, Hunter has impressed many. However, scouts, former players, and coaches have suggested that, in the NFL, he will likely need to choose one position.
While Hunter has proven he can play both positions, Sherman pointed out that excelling on both sides of the ball in high school and college is vastly different from doing so at the NFL level. Sherman expressed his opinion that Hunter should focus on cornerback in the pros.
“We’re not playing 50 snaps on offense and 55 snaps on defense,” Sherman said on the St. Brown Podcast. “Offensive coordinators are going to test you. These quarterbacks are going to say, ‘Hey, let’s see how in shape you are by the end of the fourth quarter. We just saw you run three go routes; now I’m going to bring in our third receiver to run you on three more go routes, and then let Amon-Ra do the work.'”
Sherman’s reasoning is sound, and he also emphasized that Hunter looks more natural as a cornerback.
“I think he goes with corner just because, as a receiver, he’s not a special size or a super dynamic route runner,” the Super Bowl champion said. “He’s a great athlete, and he’s smooth, so he can get it done. I’m sure if he focused on receiver, he could be elite, but as a corner, he just looks natural. It’s like catching a ball—he’s always in position, breaking at the right time, with a good feel for the game, and that’s rare.”
High praise from one of the best cornerbacks of the 21st century. However, another NFL great, Terrell Owens, has a different take. Owens believes Hunter can excel on both sides of the ball and suggested that Sherman’s comments were off-base. He shared his thoughts on Bubba Dubb’s podcast this week.
“Absolutely, he can play both sides of the ball,” Owens said. “I heard the most ridiculous take from Richard Sherman, that he didn’t believe Hunter could do it. C’mon, Richard, don’t do that, man. That just oozes with hate. Travis Hunter is that dude, bro—he’s that guy.
“To do what he’s doing at the collegiate level is exceptional. You don’t see many like him. In high school, sure, but not in college. The last person I remember doing that was Charles Woodson, who ended up winning the Heisman at Michigan.”
Owens has been a vocal supporter of Hunter, and as a close friend of Buffs head coach Deion Sanders, he’s taken on a mentoring role for Hunter as he prepares for the next level. So far this season, Hunter has recorded 37 catches for 472 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, he has an interception, 14 total tackles, and two pass deflections.
Teams rarely throw his way, and as Sherman noted, his natural ability at cornerback discourages offensive coordinators and quarterbacks from testing him. You can watch Owens’ assessment of Hunter in the video below.
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