Colorado
2025 NFL Draft scouting report: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Charles McDonald: Putting Travis Hunter anywhere but the top spot feels like overthinking, even if he doesn’t end up living up to the lofty hype he set for himself after a once-in-a-lifetime college career. Hunter won the Bednarik Award for the best defensive player in college football and the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the best wide receiver in the country.
He’s a legitimate first-round prospect at wide receiver and cornerback, thanks to some otherworldly ball skills and overall athleticism that make him an impact player on both sides of the ball.
So far, Hunter is adamant on playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, which will prove tough, but it’s hard to doubt someone who has already made it this far on his talents.
Hunter might be a bit more “pro ready” at cornerback right now where his instincts and athleticism can make him a nuisance for passing games, but a play at wide receiver is completely defensible, and exciting, as well. The term “generational” gets thrown around way too much in draft coverage, but for someone like Hunter, it actually applies.
Nate Tice: The most dynamic players in the country, Hunter was a game-changer at cornerback and wide receiver in college, but his best path as a professional is as a full-time defender with a dollop of offense in there.
Think a usage resembling his coach/mentor Deion Sanders when he played with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.
Hunter can consistently stay sticky to his coverage assignment, showing off the quickness and body control to thrive in man-to-man situations, with the excellent burst to make plays on the football and nullify the receiver. He plays with a high level of intelligence for the position, and will take calculated gambles to fall off his coverage assignment and even bait quarterbacks into potential interception opportunities.
Hunter’s ball skills and feel for the position are rare. His athleticism unlocked by his innate ability to always find — and come down with — the football. Hunter just seems to make a big play in every quarter of the game.
The ball skills, quickness and body control all show up when Hunter plays wide receiver, too, but he is more raw at the position, lacking the refinement that he shows on the other side of the ball — but he has rapidly improved this season. He also plays bigger than his listed size because of his hands and hand-eye coordination, while also being able to create with the ball in his hands.
These skills make two-way play at the next level a real possibility, even if it’s for a small package of plays.
Hunter’s moderate bulk does not come up as a tackler. He’s a physical defender, but it is also a reason why I have some hesitation about Hunter being full-time player on both sides in the NFL (along with the sheer mental load, but that’s something that can come with time).
No matter what, Hunter is a helluva player and whatever team drafts him is getting a game-changing talent.
UPDATE: SUNDAY 4/19/2026 7:12 p.m.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Northbound Powers Boulevards is back open at Palmer Park Boulevard, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). However, the center and right northbound lanes as well as the right turn lane remain closed south of Constitution Avenue. Law enforcement asked the community to avoid the area if possible, and drive carefully.
ORIGINAL STORY: CSPD: Major crash closes northbound Powers
The northbound lanes of Powers Boulevard are closed at Palmer Park Boulevard for a major crash at Powers and Constitution as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). Drivers are asked to avoid the area.
According to FOX21 News crew who spoke to an officer at the scene, the crash involved at least two cars and two motorcycles, and multiple people have been taken to the hospital.
Multiple agencies are responding, according to the FOX21 News crew, and the Major Crash Unit may be called in. Reports indicate that no one has died as of 5:30 p.m.
Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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