‘Frustrated’ Deion Sanders Dismisses Eli Manning’s Claims That Travis Hunter Only Played Defense at Colorado

Rookie two-way star Travis Hunter has slowly been playing more snaps on both offense and defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

‘Frustrated’ Deion Sanders Dismisses Eli Manning’s Claims That Travis Hunter Only Played Defense at Colorado

Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Eli Manning (Image via Imago/NFL/X)

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Travis Hunter came into the NFL as the first pure two-way prospect in the league. Playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he is still finding his feet as he gets to grips with the new schemes.

When entering the draft, it was unclear how many teams were enamored by his ability to play both ways. Many were unsure if he could handle the physical demands while playing against grown men.

So far, his skills have not exactly lit up the league. A pass interference call in Week 4 put a dampener on what could have been a game-saving defensive highlight.

In their Week 5 clash against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 22-year-old did not have much to do on offense, particularly in the first quarter. In the second, he caught a pass for 12 yards.

Then, in the third segment, quarterback Trevor Lawrence evaded oncoming rushers to set up his rookie teammate on a 44-yard catch. Hunter spectacularly adjusted his body midair to gather the ball, even though two Chiefs’ defenders were on him.

While watching this highlight, two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning mentioned on Manning Cast that Travis Hunter apparently did not practice with the Colorado Buffaloes’ offense.

He tried to suggest that the second overall pick’s talent was evident, as it did not take him much to have an impact on offense. However, Buffalo’s head coach, Deion Sanders, had a different take.

That was a lie… Travis Hunter played offense and defense.

Deion Sanders said after Colorado practice

The Hall of Famer then detailed how his former two-way star would first practice on offense, and then would switch over and take defensive reps. Sanders claimed Manning did not have to use such unverified information on live TV.

Skip Bayless still believes Jaguars are not using Travis Hunter correctly

Travis Hunter played 39 snaps on offense and 25 snaps on defense, again as a starter. That was a major promotion after starting the year in the second tier of their defensive backs.

Travis Hunter takes more offensive than defensive snaps
Travis Hunter takes more offensive than defensive snaps (Image via BR Gridiron/X)

This could mean that the Jacksonville Jaguars are growing in confidence with their rookie and are starting to utilize his unique skills. However, Skip Bayless claims the franchise is not allowing Hunter to flourish at cornerback.

Nope, nope, nope, again nope! He is a rarely gifted cornerback, you can’t find those cornerbacks. He’s maybe not quite Deion, but he’s up there in the 2nd echelon… As Aqib (Talib) would say again and again on this show, at corner, you have to get into the flow of the game.

Skip Bayless said on The Arena

The 73-year-old analyst added that for a cornerback to succeed, they cannot be pulled in and out of the game. They need to get into rhythm, and that requires playing multiple snaps.

Bayless believes that if the Jaguars are to unlock Travis Hunter‘s full potential on defense, they have to play him more. With his growing number of snaps, they may field the rookie more and more as the days go by.

Travis Hunter reunites with woman he met on a plane

Hunter said all he had to before the draft. Then, when the Jacksonville Jaguars finally selected him, it became clear that he was the player they depended on to help turn their fortunes around.

Once he secured his rookie contract, the humble side of the two-way star returned. A viral clip of his interaction with a woman on a plane is still circulating.

That woman did not have a clue who he was, and then ended up chatting throughout the trip. She was overwhelmed to see how humble a superstar athlete was.

That woman reunited with Hunter at their game against the Chiefs. She wore his jersey and waited on the sidelines to greet him. When they met, he embraced her, and they took a lot of pictures, leaving each other with wide smiles.

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