Shilo Sanders has bounced around the college football map like a seasoned vet. South Carolina, Jackson State, and Colorado. At this point, he’s worn more college team colors than a sideline towel. He’s lined up against SEC speed, SWAC physicality, and Pac-12 precision. And yeah, probably sampled every variety of cafeteria chicken nugget along the way.

But even with all those pit stops, there is one man who’s stuck in his head till this day. The kid is in the NFL now, but he’s still star-struck with what he saw with him at Colorado. And when asked who was the toughest receiver to guard? Let’s just say…he didn’t need more than two seconds to come up with a name.

In Shilo’s official YouTube blog, he was asked a simple question. “Who was the hardest receiver you had to guard at Colorado?” To which Shied replied, without a second thought, “Travis Hunter. Easy. Me and Travis only do one‑on‑ones like once really. We never really went against each other like that,” he said.

These words carry a lot of weight. You give someone the best WR crown when you’ve only gone up against him once? It’s safe to assume Travis Hunter came out on top in that one-on-one.

And no, he didn’t stop there. Hunter pulled double duty, logging 748 snaps on defense with 4 picks and 10 pass breakups. The trophy haul? Heisman. Walter Camp. Bednarik. Biletnikoff. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. And he was a unanimous All-American on both sides of the ball. Nobody’s done that. So, when Shilo brought up how wild it was just going against Hunter in practice? Yeah, it tracks. That kind of talent leaves a dent when it’s gone. And for Colorado? You can never objectively say this, but they might never find a WR like Travis again.

And now, after that monstrous 2024 for the Buffaloes, Travis gears up for his rookie NFL season with the Jaguars.

Travis Hunter prepares for an interesting rookie season

Now that the Jags traded up and grabbed him at No. 2, the spotlight’s officially blinding. One of the most exciting draft picks this offseason. And now the big question in Duval is: how are they gonna use Travis Hunter without running him into the ground? Because for a player like him? Right development is everything.

The preseason’s basically going to be a lab test. Early reports say he’ll probably start out with a steady diet of cornerback reps. His bread and butter, with some spicy wide receiver packages sprinkled in. Think red zone, third downs, momentum changers. And honestly? That is the way to go about it.

It’s not about holding him back. Far from it. It’s about letting him grow into a full-on weapon without burning the fuse too early. If he can stay healthy and consistent, this could be one of those rare picks that actually changes everything. Because if you let him grow at his own pace? You’ll create a monster. Ask Shilo.

At the 2025 Combine, he made it crystal clear: he’s built differently. “It’s never been done… I believe I can do it,” Hunter told ESPN, referring to his plan to keep playing both wide receiver and cornerback at the pro level. But would that work in the NFL? Draft analysts like Greg Cosell and ex‑coach Eric Mangini didn’t think so. They believe the  NFL’s grind and complexity could make a full-time two‑way role unfeasible. While that does have merit, we can’t rule anything out when it comes to Travis.

Despite the skeptics (and there are many), Travis Hunter isn’t budging. He’s doubled down on his vision, even comparing himself to Shohei Ohtani, the ultimate two-way unicorn in baseball. Hunter has hinted that if a team won’t let him play both ways, he might just walk away altogether. Bold? Definitely. But when you’ve made a career out of doing what no one else could, betting on yourself doesn’t seem so crazy.