"It's hard for me to imagine": Chris Broussard dismisses Travis Hunter's Shohei Ohtani comparison

Travis Hunter played both sides of the ball during his collegiate career as the 2024 Heisman winner made a name for himself as a wide receiver and a cornerback. Before the draft, Hunter compared his game to MLB star Shohei Ohtani, who also plays a two-way role.

During an interview at the Scouting Combine, Travis Hunter raised eyebrows after saying he believes he has a tougher job playing both ways compared to Shohei Ohtani. On Saturday, this comparison was brought up again on the "First Things First" show.

"Shohei Ohtani changed how we think about baseball right? This guy (Travis Hunter), just by being on the field... He is going to change the way we think about what is athletically possible for football players," analyst Danny Parkins said (Timestamp- 5:40 onwards).

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However, the comparison drew criticism from Chris Broussard. He talked about how both athletes are different and expressed his doubts in Hunter's ability to be "elite" both as a cornerback and a wide receiver.

"You mentioned Shohei Ohtani. What's special about or more special about Shohei is he is elite on both sides, as a hitter and a pitcher," Broussard said. "It's hard for me to imagine he (Travis Hunter) is going to be elite like a top all-pro level cornerback and receiver... I want him to be like a Hall of Fame level player at one of the positions rather than good at both.

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to acquire Hunter with the second pick in this year's draft. Despite questions surrounding him playing both sides of the ball professionally, he was seen practicing both positions during mandatory minicamp.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen talked about the team's plan on utilizing the 2024 Heisman winner's two-way abilities. He said they are on board with the idea of him playing as a cornerback and wide receiver on the field.

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Travis Hunter's two-way dream faces skepticism from Super Bowl XLIII champion

It is not a regular occurrence for the NFL to have a player like Travis Hunter. Retired Super Bowl XLIII champ Willie Colon is still not sold on the idea that he will be effective on both sides of the ball.

During an appearance on "The Breakfast Ball," Colon shared his thoughts about the Jaguars' rookie and his future as a two-way star.

"I know how I would approach a guy like this," Colon said. "I'm going to test his armor... If you want to be a two-way player in the NFL, I'm going to see if you're strong enough to be a two-way player... And so, for me, if I'm the Jacksonville Jaguars, listen to what the players are saying. "They're curious if he can finish an 18-week season going both ways. I promise you he won't.

Colon also predicted that the Jaguars will end up playing Hunter in the cornerback position for the rest of the season after exhausting him playing both sides of the ball.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash