‘Built different’ – Travis Hunter’s jaw-dropping basketball mixtape has fans saying Buffaloes star could make NBA
Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter is arguably the best player in college football right now.
The two-way star is putting up ridiculous numbers on both offense and defense and making a serious case to be the No. 1 pick in next year's NFL draft.
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The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder is a rare breed of athlete who has the physical abilities -- instant acceleration and lateral agility -- with high IQ.
He's so naturally athletic, in fact, that he could well be an NBA star if he put his mind to it.
A basketball mixtape of Hunter recently emerged online. Footage shows Hunter throwing lobs off the backboard and slamming the ball down with both hands.
The 21-year-old exhibits filthy dribble moves, ridiculous handles, and serious hops, throwing down an impressive range of one-handed and between-the-legs dunks.
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Hunter has already proven himself to be an extraordinary, multi-sport athlete, much like LeBron James or Anthony Edwards.
His highlight reel package demonstrates he really is among the crème de la crème of elite athletes, and could probably succeed at any sporting endeavour he put enough time into.
"That dude is probably just amazing at every sport. Probably can throw a baseball 90+MPH, and a single digit handicap in golf," one fan posted on X.
"Travis is one of those guys that would be great at anything he does," added a second.
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"Imagine if he wins the Heisman as a two way player, then balls out on the basketball team and gets drafted by Knicks. Unprecedented," a third wrote.
"He could legit make the NBA," one fan put.
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"Built different," a fifth replied.
"If he was smarter he would have just played ball and made 400 million more in his career in the NBA than the NFL," another weighed in with.
NBA players generally make a lot more money than NFL players -- the average NBA salary was $9.7million last year while the average salary for an NFL player is around $2.8m per year.
Watch the highlights of potential NFL Draft No.1 pick & Colorado Buffaloes superstar cornerback Travis Hunter
With that said, the best players and top earners in both leagues command similar salaries, around $50-60 million per year.
Hunter is also no average player and when, not if, he makes it the pros, he'll be among the upper echelon of earners.
The Buffs star has made it clear which sport he sees his future in, but his position is much less certain.
He's featured as both a wide receiver and a cornerback throughout his college career, playing over 90 per cent of the Buffaloes' snaps so far this season - something that's virtually unheard of.
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On offense, Hunter has 46 receptions (third in FBS) for 561 yards (fifth in FBS) and six touchdowns (third in FBS).
On defense, he has 16 tackles, a forced fumble, two interceptions and an additional three pass breakups.
Hunter himself hasn’t publicly declared if he prefers to be a wideout or corner prospect but has said he hopes to continue playing both positions once he enters the NFL.
No collegiate player has ever consistently played on both offense and defense in the NFL, and it's widely expected Hunter will have to pick one to truly flourish at the professional level.
However, Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders is refusing to get drawn in on which position Hunter will ultimately pick, insisting he just wants to let his star man "be who he is."
"I ain't tellin' you nothing," Sanders recently told Shannon Sharpe and Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson on their Nightcap podcast.
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"I'm treating you like a pro scout, you gonna have to find out on your own. I know the answer."
"This is my problem. Every week we've got a ton of scouts come to practice and they ask me that question," he went on.
"I say, 'if you put him on defense and don't let him play offense in the pros, you're going to look crazy because your'e not moving the ball down the field and your best receiver is on the defensive side of the ball.'
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"If you put it vice versa, now he's on the offense and he's lighting it up and your cornerback is getting killed, but you've got your best corner sat on the bench... you're gonna look like a fool as a head coach.
"You have to allow him to be who he is."
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