Heisman Winner Travis Hunter’s NFL Position (and Paycheck) Dilemma

Newly-crowned Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter has an interesting—and potentially very expensive—dilemma on his hands, as the two-way star from Colorado ends his collegiate career and enters the NFL Draft.

Hunter received college football’s most prestigious award Saturday night, edging runner-up Ashton Jeanty—who rushed for a staggering 2,497 yards at Boise State—by 214 points. It was the closest vote since 2009 when Alabama’s Mark Ingram II topped Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by just 28 points.

The Colorado star is the first player who starts on defense to win the Heisman since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. This season, Hunter played 1,443 snaps for the Buffaloes—more than 700 each on offense as a receiver and defense as a cornerback. He caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also grabbing four interceptions and 11 passes defended.

Hunter will play in Colorado’s Alamo Bowl matchup against BYU before turning his focus to the NFL Draft, where he is projected to be a top-five pick. While no one disputes Hunter’s talent, the big question for his professional prospects is: What position will he play?

Two-for-One Special?

Throughout his time in college, Hunter has said he wants to play both offense and defense in the NFL. However, the NFL’s longer season and more physical playing style will make that difficult. 

“I would prefer that he didn’t [play both],” Woodson told USA Today. “If I was an NFL team, having a guy as talented as him, I would play him on defense. But I would have some packages for him on offense.”

If Hunter does have to choose one over the other, there’s a big difference in what he could expect to earn that could be a major factor in his decision. 

In 2024, the average salary of the five highest-paid wide receivers is $32.2 million, with Vikings star Justin Jefferson topping the list at $35 million (all figures via Spotrac). That’s more than $10 million above the average salary of the five highest-paid cornerbacks, $21.89 million.

In fact, Texas wideout Nico Collins, who ranks 12th among receivers with a $24.25 million salary this season, will earn more than the highest-paid cornerback, Dolphins defender Jalen Ramsey, at $24.1 million.

The discrepancy for Hunter won’t come into play until his second pro contract, though. Under his rookie deal, Hunter’s pay will be determined by his draft selection, not position. The top pick in the 2025 draft is projected to sign a four-year, $42.2 million contract, while the fifth pick will make $35.43 million over the same time period.

Star Power

While Hunter can look forward to some big paychecks in the NFL, he’s already been cashing in. Since 2022, the star player has signed more than 20 NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals, according to On3. 

Last week, Hunter inked a deal with Adidas, adding to other big-name brand deals he already has with United Airlines, Celsius, and NerdWallet, among others.