The two never played each other on the field, but Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty and Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter seemed to be pitted against each other more than anyone else in college football last season.
That’s because both players had a historic season, and a large contingent of fans believed each deserved the Heisman Trophy.
Jeanty had a historic season at the running back position, logging 2,739 total yards from scrimmage and 30 total touchdowns. He fell only 27 yards short of breaking Barry Sanders’s single season rushing record. Fans were tuned into Boise State games like never before. Jeanty would do things every week that made fans’ jaws drop.
Hunter on the other hand, played at an elite level at both wide receiver and cornerback. He garnered comparisons to Shohei Ohtani and even some of the same awe and amazement Ohtani receives.
Hunter went home with the Heisman, but not without plenty of fans feeling Jeanty got robbed.
The two young stars are likely to be in an award competition once again this season. This time, for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Because of this, conversations will likely resurface about which player is better and which one is more exciting.
One insider thinks Jeanty could prevail this season, in both categories. In a Bleacher Report article called, “6 NFL Rookies With Potential to be More Exciting Than Travis Hunter in Year 1”, NFL scouting expert Brent Sobleski picked Jeanty as an “obvious choice” to generate more excitement than Jeanty in year one.
“An NFL team isn’t drafting a running back in the top 10 without the idea he’s going to become the focal point of the offense, Sobleski wrote. “Of course, he is.”
“Jeanty is going to shoulder the offense and likely put up big numbers as a result, thus placing him squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.”
Hunter Likely Can’t Produce At The Same Level
While Travis Hunter was able to be a consistent, effective contributor on both sides of the football at Colorado, it is likely that his two-way snaps will be much more limited in the NFL.
“He’s likely not going to be a full-time participant on both sides of the ball,” Sobleski wrote. “He can do both and contribute, but the coaching staff must place a restrictor plate on his intake or run the risk of overwhelming the 22-year-old, especially early in this career.”
On the other hand, the Raiders drafted Jeanty to give him a lot of carries. He was a high-volume back in college and in a Raiders offense that ranked 27th in the NFL last season, he’s going to get every opportunity to dominate.
As aspect that makes this more interesting, however, is if Hunter ends up focusing on offense.
Every report from the Jaguars and Jaguars insiders has indicated that Hunter will start out primarily as a wide receiver. He will get more defensive snaps later as he develops.
So, he’s much more likely to be an offensive rookie of the year candidate than a defensive rookie of the year candidate. That places Hunter and Jeanty in a rivalry once again even if Hunter isn’t up to his Ohtani-esque heroics.
The Two Face Off This Season
This rivalry comes with yet another level of intrigue. The Raiders have a game against the Jaguars this season, allowing the two phenoms to face off for the first time ever.
The game comes in Las Vegas on November 2, 2025. If both Hunter and Jeanty are squarely in the offensive rookie of the year race ahead of this Week 9 matchup, this could be one of the most exciting games of the NFL season.
Especially because these two can truly match up head to head if Hunter plays some defense. Seeing Hunter try to limit Jeanty offensively to help his own offensive rookie of the year case would be fascinating.
Mark your calendars, Raiders fans. This will be one of the biggest storylines of the 2025 NFL season.
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