Hall of Famer Raves About Jaguars' Travis Hunter

Like him or not, Warren Sapp has a bust in Canton, a Super Bowl ring on his finger and seven Pro Bowls on his résumé.

His opinion carries a lot of weight, and his opinion of Travis Hunter is unique because that résumé lists his current role as assistant coach at the University of Colorado, 2024-present.

“I called a friend of mine Week 2 and I said, ‘He's gonna win the Heisman,’ Sapp told Rich Eisen in February. “I've never seen anything like it. And I know I was a dawg in college. I know I was. Can't touch him. I mean, cover a 9 route, turn around, run a dig and go all the way to the end zone? Every time, he scores. Play after play. And the joy in his face and just his enthusiasm about the game is just infectious, Rich. I mean, it was sick.”

Sapp also knows the significant difference in speed between the NFL level and college. He made the jump from the University of Miami to the Buccaneers as the 12th-overall selection in the 1995 NFL draft. Still, he sees Hunter making a seamless transition – on both sides of the ball.

Sapp said, ideally, he would play Hunter full-time defensively as a lockdown corner and then deploy him in strategic offensive packages as a wide receiver. The Jaguars said they plan to do the opposite, at least initially. Regardless, Hunter is different than any player Sapp’s encountered, an excellent fit for the current NFL.

“The game that they built has an Autobahn, Rich. And you’ve got a V12 right here. You put him in certain situations, six, 10 plays a game. Why not?” said Sapp, who agrees with the notion that Hunter is the most dynamic offensive player in the draft.

“It ain’t even close, Rich. His appetite for the ball and to just be on the field, I've never seen anything like it. And I've been around some bad ones. I've been with Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis. I raised Ray Lewis. I mean, I'm telling you, this kid's unreal, unreal. I just marveled at it every day.”