Perhaps it’s time to give Deion Sanders the peace and quiet he deserves. Lately, the Buffs HC found himself stuck in a fiasco for overplaying his two-way star Travis Hunter. After his injury in Kansas State, all the blame pointed towards the HC for exploiting the $200M NFL future of this talented young player. But let’s put this complication to rest once and for all.

Former NFL player and Hall of Famer Charles Woodson joined Travis Hunter on his latest YouTube episode on October 24. The question that Woodson raised was “Do you ever think you’re playing too much football in terms of playing both sides of the football?” Maybe you already expect the answer. Hunter’s answer was – “No I don’t think I’m playing too much football because like you said, this is all I know. I love to be on the field, love playing football. All I know is to go out there and work… So the numbers don’t faze me.” 

Travis Hunter had been playing 120+ snaps for the first five games before his injury in Week 7. He even played 44 of 45 snaps in the Kansas State loss before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Last week, he geared up for Arizona in the first half and recorded two receptions for 17 yards. In the second half, he watched from the sidelines as the Buffs defeated the Wildcats in a dominant 34-7 win. 

If Travis Hunter wanted to play, no one could stop him, not even Deion Sanders. Hunter isn’t just chasing fame playing more than 90% of the snaps this season. Football is in his blood and playing both ways makes him happiest. But not many understood Deion Sanders when he said, “He’s done this his whole life. You can’t take that away from him. That’s why I’m happy I’m his coach because I understand him holistically.” Hunter is expected to be back feeling healthier in the Buffs’ upcoming game. 

Travis Hunter will return in a better shape against Cincinnati 

Of all people, Deion Sanders is most excited to see Travis Hunter returning to the game feeling better. He may have lost productivity but the upcoming game against Cincinnati has a bright outlook, especially for the HC. He said, “I think he’ll have more productivity because he’s feeling much better than last week… I think he will certainly contribute a lot more than he did a week ago because he’s healthier.” 

Perhaps we won’t see him playing 120 snaps in the next game, but we could be seeing him play both ways now and even in the future. As Deion Sanders said of Hunter’s two-way role, “Sure he’s exposed to many more plays but he’s exposed to making more plays as well.” As of now, Travis Hunter has recorded 604 receiving yards and six touchdowns in offense. Defensively, he racked up 18 total tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. Can we expect a spectacular comeback when the Buffs meet the Bearcats on October 26 for an exciting Big 12 showdown?