As if Travis Hunter wasn’t versatile enough, the Colorado Buffaloes are adding a bit more to his arsenal this spring.
The Colorado junior, who stars at receiver and cornerback, has been working at nickel this spring on the days he’s on defense.
“He’s been playing the majority inside and when we can have him do that and be strong and outside with Preston (Hodge) and DJ (McKinney), it’s gonna be a sight to see and we are excited about that,” CU cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis said after the Buffs completed their eighth of 15 spring practices on Thursday.
Last season as a sophomore, Hunter won the Paul Hornung Award, which is presented annually to the most versatile player in college football. On offense, he caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, he had 31 tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups while playing on the outside.
Mathis said that moving Hunter inside, where he’ll cover slot receivers, will benefit the Buffs defensively as they shift to a new scheme led by first-year coordinator Robert Livingston.
“There’s not gonna be a lot of (players like Hunter) come around,” Mathis said. “He’s able to get in there naturally (at nickel) and just play well. And he’s able to go in and if we need him in the B gap (to help stop the run), as you’ve seen a couple of times today, he was able to fill that B gap. A lot of nickels really don’t want to do that, but he’s able to do that.”
Mathis said Hunter is also a good fit for nickel because the game has changed a bit, where offenses are often lining up their best receiver in the slot.
“The best receivers are no longer on the outside,” Mathis said. “So with him, having the ability to go inside and us not lose a step on the outside is gonna be real good for us. If we can match up and be able to take away their best guy by putting Travis on him on the inside, or if he’s on the outside, it’s gonna be really good for us being that he’s able to really adjust like that for us.”
With Hunter playing more inside, the Buffs are confident in two newcomers at corner. Hodge is a transfer from Liberty, while McKinney came to the Buffs from Oklahoma State.
“New guys are adjusting well,” Mathis said. “We’ve got a good group in that back end. We’re real multiple back there; a lot of guys playing different positions. I think it’s going real good, man. I’m excited to see these guys come together and gel, perform.”
The group at cornerback has included Omarion Cooper, a senior who started eight games last year. Cooper, who tied Hunter for the team led with five pass breakups, is now playing safety, however.
“We asked Coop to change positions this year and he’s really stepped up to the challenge of playing more safety, coming down covering tight ends,” Mathis said. “That’s his strength with the defense that we have put in. He understands what we need from him and he’s doing a good job. He’s a leader back there. … His role is going to be reduced than it was last year but he stepped up and understand his role in this defense and he’s gonna be a key guy for us.”
Sophomore Cormani McClain is still at corner, but has been out most of this spring. Mathis said McClain returned Thursday and did some running.
“He’s got to get back in shape,” Mathis said. “Once he does that, once he finishes running, he’ll be back on the football field.”
Mathis also said Carter Stoutmire and safety Jaden Milliner-Jones have been out with injuries. He’s eager to get Stoutmire back in the mix at corner, though.
“He’s gonna be another guy that we think can play all three positions,” Mathis said. “We put him out at corner. … He’s been working a lot at nickel, but he can also go back to play safety.”
