Travis Hunter returns to Colorado as Broncos prepare for two-way threat

Travis Hunter will play his first pro game in Colorado on Sunday against the Broncos after his decorated college career for the Buffaloes in Boulder

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Sep 17, 2026, 7:46 PM

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Watch: What Does One Of The Legends Of Colorado Football Think About The Schools Decision To Retire Travis Hunter And Shedeur Sanders Jesrseys | 5 mins

Travis Hunter was in the building the last time the Jacksonville Jaguars visited Empower Field at Mile High. He just couldn’t contribute in what was supposed to be his first pro game in Colorado.

The Heisman Trophy-winning Buffaloes star was sidelined with an injury when the Jaguars routed the Broncos 34-20 in Week 16 last December, ending Denver’s 11-game winning streak. Hunter attended the game but was a spectator.

“I was there, I was actually there, yeah,” Hunter said Thursday. “It was great being able to be back in Colorado, just watching the guys go out there and win.”

This time, he’ll be on the field. What side and for how long on each side — that’s always the question.

Hunter, whom the Jaguars selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 draft after trading up with the Cleveland Browns, is expected to line up primarily at cornerback Sunday when Jacksonville (1-0) travels to Denver (0-1). The second-year defensive back and wide receiver played 29 defensive snaps and four offensive snaps in the Jaguars’ 34-10 win over the Browns in Week 1, recording one tackle and allowing one reception for four yards on the lone pass thrown his way.

Broncos coach Sean Payton said the team is treating Hunter as a defender first.

“I think we approach it as he’s one of the corners, and then we’re alert for any package where he’s on offense,” Payton said Thursday. “I would say it’s a little bit more of a defensive player who has versatility when he’s in the game on offense.”

Payton recalled scouting Hunter at Colorado’s pro day, the second time he had visited Boulder for one. The first was a private workout with quarterback Koy Detmer in 1997.

“It was impressive,” Payton said. “A lot of stuff came naturally to him. He has great ball skills. He catches the ball extremely well. He’s smart. It was impressive to be around him, really.”

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton said he is looking forward to the matchup against Hunter, who missed the teams’ meeting last season with the injury that cost him the second half of his rookie year.

“He’s a really talented guy. I got a chance to watch him a little bit when he was at Colorado, and then unfortunately, he got hurt right before we played against them last year,” Sutton said. “Just really looking forward to going up against him. He’s had a lot of success and a lot of accolades to his name.”

Hunter said the return to Colorado carries some personal meaning. He’s one of the most decorated football players in school history for his standout 2024 season.

“I just feel great,” Hunter said of what his time at Colorado meant to his career. “I feel like I just did my job to be able to go to the next level.”

Hunter said he needed about a drive or two in Week 1 against Cleveland to shake off the rust from his injury layoff. His first game back since Week 7 of last season was his most significant step toward returning to the player who was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft.

Whether Deion Sanders, Hunter’s coach at Colorado, will attend Sunday’s game is unclear. The Buffaloes play this week at Northwestern.

“I don’t know,” Hunter said. “I know they play Saturday, so I don’t know if he’s going to be there or he going to be getting rest.”