Dan Patrick argues Jaguars’ Travis Hunter benefited from skipping SEC originally appeared on The Sporting News
The big question for the Jacksonville Jaguars is whether Travis Hunter will be allowed to play both offense and defense in the NFL. Hunter aims to bring his rare two-way skills from college to the pros—an opportunity that might not have come had he attended a high-profile SEC program.
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In 2022, Hunter, one of the top recruits in his class, surprised many by opting to go to Jackson State and be coached by two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders. After Sanders left Jackson State, Hunter followed him to the University of Colorado rather than staying in the south and joining an SEC powerhouse.
Because Sanders allowed Hunter to play both offense and defense, the 22-year-old had the chance to do the same in the NFL, which, for Dan Patrick, wouldn’t have happened had the player gone from high school to a school in the SEC.
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“If Travis Hunter doesn’t go to Jackson State, where he can play both ways, and you’re playing for Deion Sanders, if Travis Hunter went to Georgia or LSU or Florida State, he might get a sprinkling,” Patrick said Thursday on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “He wouldn’t be playing both ways, but they would go, ‘Hey, we’re going to put him in a third-down package.’ Big schools take you, and that’s your position…
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“But you’re getting guys who specialize as a wide receiver and those who specialize as a defensive back. If you don’t have Jackson State and Deion, then maybe we don’t have Travis Hunter winning the high Heisman Trophy.”
For schools like Colorado to land these top recruits like a Hunter, perhaps coaches could give players the leeway to play both sides of the football, which can make them an attractive destination over an SEC powerhouse like Georgia.
If Hunter can succeed in the NFL being a two-way player, perhaps more players won’t give up playing both sides of the football once they leave high school and begin their college career.
