CNN
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One of the rarest qualities in all team sports is the ability to influence a game in a variety of ways.

Athletes are rarely able to achieve victory both offensively and defensively, and those who are described as two-way players are among the most sought-after stars in their respective professions.

The term “two-way player” has become commonplace in various sports when referring to the likes of basketball’s Giannis Antetokounmpo or baseball’s Shohei Ohtani, but in football it is incredibly unique.

Only a handful of players have performed multiple roles on the football field Devin Hester, Deion Sanders and Julian Edelman. Now Travis Hunter is the latest to prove that it’s possible to excel on both offense and defense. The recent Heisman Trophy winner played equally on both sides of the ball for the Colorado Buffaloes during a remarkable college season.

Hunter played both wide receiver and cornerback and wrote a year for the history books, culminating in him being one of the select few to win the Heisman Trophy.

“Outstanding on both sides”

The Buffaloes star was a revelation on both ends during his time in Colorado and has taken his game to the next level this season.

“There were guys who played on both sides, although honestly not many, who did it full-time, but not at that level,” Stewart Mandel, senior college football editor at The Athletic, told CNN Sport.

“He’s one of the best cornerbacks in college football, if not the best, and he’s a 1,000-yard receiver, which is unbelievable.”

Hunter’s unique ability to make an impact on every snap is what separated him from the rest of college football during the season.

The Colorado standout is averaging a hard-to-believe 118 snaps per game per PFF. These are split evenly between his two roles, with Hunter playing 709 offensive snaps and 713 defensive snaps this season.

“It’s just unbelievable that he takes that many snaps per game, let alone at such a high level,” Mandel added.

Hunter led the Buffaloes in receptions and receiving yards this season, accumulating 1,152 yards on his 92 receptions. Unsurprisingly, he also leads the team with 15 touchdowns, including one rushing touchdown.

While he does all of this offensively, the 21-year-old has also excelled defensively. Hunter had four interceptions and 11 passes in a season in which he established himself as an elite defender.

Mandel believes Hunter’s exceptional ability to play both sides of the ball in this manner led to his Heisman success, contradicting critics who believe Hunter wins the award based solely on his snap count.

“His elementary school and what he was known for was cornerback, and receiver was the exact opposite,” Mandel says. “He is the No. 6 receiver in the country with 1,152 yards and is a lockdown cornerback who has had at least a couple of game-changing interceptions this season.

“So absolutely outstanding on both sides.”

This becomes even clearer when considering the numerous awards Hunter has received.

On Thursday, he was named the Associated Press (AP) Player of the Year and also received the Chuck Bednarik Award for Defensive Player of the Year and, just hours later, the Fred Biletnikoff Award for Receiver of the Year.

One of the keys to leveraging Hunter’s immense skills was playing under Sanders – now also known as Coach Prime – a former two-way player and current Colorado head coach.

“Coach Prime was the only coach who would have considered allowing me to do what I do,” Hunter said, according to The AP. “He’s done it and knows what it takes – how ready you have to be on both sides of the ball.”

In his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, Hunter said that Sanders “changed my life forever” and that his relationship with the coach was a key factor in the success of Hunter’s college career.

He made NCAA headlines before he even set foot on the football field when he surprisingly turned his back on his commitment to the Florida State Seminoles in favor of the Jackson State Tigers.

The reason was simple: Coach Sanders.

“It starts with the fact that Travis Hunter was the No. 1 recruit in the country, he was expected to go to Florida State for a year, and on signing day he shocked everyone,” Mandel says.

“Obviously he specifically wanted to play for (Sanders) in college football and followed him to Colorado when he got that job.”

The conversation with the coach was enough to convince Hunter to follow Sanders to Jackson State, an HBCU and FCS school with far less football pedigree than Florida State, and then to Boulder and the Buffs.

“When I first talked to him it was like, ‘I don’t care who he is, I don’t want to go there,’ but as I talked to him more it was like, ‘Oh, that could do that be.’ Place I want to go.’ You know, he’s more than just a coach – he’s a father,” Hunter told the Pivot Podcast.

Mandel said it was clear that Sanders, who he considers the greatest cornerback of all time, had a big impact on Hunter’s development.

This partnership was instrumental in maximizing Hunter’s tremendous skill set, and there was no greater supporter of the Heisman winner’s desire to play on both sides of the ball than his coach.

“He’s the best player in college football,” Sanders said after the Buffaloes’ 52-0 victory over Oklahoma State. “Travis Hunter has proven today and every week that he is the best player in college football.”

In Coach Prime’s eyes, there was only ever one Heisman winner.

“Travis is him. Travis is that guy. Nobody could handle him on both sides of the ball,” Sanders added.

Sanders’ son and Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders also had no doubts about who he thought deserved the award.

“There’s no argument at this point,” the quarterback told reporters after the win against Oklahoma State.

It’s also clear that Hunter has no regrets about following his coach to Colorado via Jackson State.

“I texted him a few games ago and said, ‘Coach, you changed my life forever.’ I can just see where I am now. I don’t know where I would have been if I had gone to Florida,” Hunter said on The Pivot.

Hunter is widely expected to be a top pick in next year’s NFL Draft, and debates have already begun about his ability to compete as a two-way player in the NFL.

“I want to play on both sides of the ball,” Hunter told the Pivot. “A lot of people told me I wouldn’t make it at the college level, and I ended up doing it. I know a lot of people will tell me I can’t make it in the NFL and I will eventually.”

Mandel also believes in Hunter’s ability to achieve this at the highest level of football.

“I don’t understand why not,” he said, while pointing out the difficulties of reconciling both positions.

“It would be remarkable, but he did it 12 games a year in college, and in college football there are limits to how much guys can practice — 20 hours a week. There are no limits in the NFL, so I think he could do it.”

Whether Hunter will be successful on both ends of the floor in the NFL remains to be seen, but Mandel believes whoever drafts the phenom should be thrilled.

“At least you’re getting a guy who could be an All-Pro cornerback, and that’s a big deal,” Mandel said. “And you might get a guy who can also play receiver for you, you get two players in one.

“I think there is a reason why he is expected to be No. 1. The No. 1 pick is usually a quarterback, but you have such a rare talent in Travis Hunter that a team will probably take him No. 1 in the draft.”