Colorado Buffaloes vs North Dakota State PREDICTION & Preview | Coach Prime YEAR 2 Opener

One of the most exciting players in college football will take the field Thursday night. Colorado two way sensation Travis Hunter will look to build on his strong debut season in Boulder, where he both Shedeur Sanders’ main objective and anchor point of the defense.

However, playing both sides of the ball makes Hunter’s health a concern. Therefore Deion Sanders said he will make sure the Buffaloes get the former Five stars Plus+ to recruit.

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Hunter missed time last year after suffering a scary injury against State of Coloradobut still showed his ability to play both cornerback and wide receiver – something Coach First did during his NFL career. But there is also a need for balance, and Sanders said he knows when Hunter needs a break.

“We want him to stay healthy,” Sanders said on ESPN’s College Football Countdown before kick-off vs. North Dakota State. “We’re going to protect him a little bit more. But Travis is a dawg, man. He just wants to play. He doesn’t want to come out of the game. I’m going to try to get him out of the game so he can get some rest because we have more depth on defense at the cornerback position, and also at the receiver position.

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“And I know him like a book, so I know when he’s a little out of breath. He won’t say it – he would never say it. But I have to take care of him.”

Hunter established himself as a key part of Sanders’ plan at Colorado despite missing three games with his injury. On offense, he hauled in 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 30 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

Those skills make him a unique player when it comes to the NFL Draft. But staying healthy is essential if Hunter wants to continue playing both sides at the next level.

“He’s a three-man player,” ESPN said. Matt Miller said of Travis Hunter. “But I do think at some point he’s really going to be forced by NFL teams to make a decision. We saw last year, he played more snaps than anybody in college football early in the season. And then he got injured — which had nothing to do with his playing time — and he missed multiple games. So I think step 1 is him proving that he can stay healthy. He’s not a big guy. He’s too small a player.

“And then I think the ability to focus on one position. To say, I’m going to work on understanding the intricacies of the wide receiver position or the mechanics of the corner position. He’s going to have to make that decision. But he’s a playmaker where you want the ball in his hands.”