Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders quickly dismissed any concern over his star dual-threat player Travis Hunter‘s low tackle statistics. Responding to a question in an interview regarding the Heisman Trophy favorite, Coach Prime stated, “If you see a cornerback with a lot of tackles that’s not a good sign.”
Prime Time further clarified how a high tackle rate among cornerbacks generally means opposing receivers had a successful day. In this instance, the legendary NFL defensive back insinuated that Hunter’s lack of tackles stems from the inability of those going against him to make plays and generate catches.
While a lack of tackles may be concerning for some defensive football positions, it appears that Sanders is not concerned with his elite player’s low figure.
Travis Hunter’s Tackle Rate May Be Low, but His Defense Is Elite
Despite Sanders quickly shutting down the question about Hunter’s low tackle rate, the question is an interesting one to investigate. According to ESPN, Hunter currently ranks 1,425th in tackles among all active college football players this season.
However, as Coach Prime alluded to in his interview, it is generally better when cornerbacks are not leading the league in this category and instead succeeding in others.
Coach Prime on haters complaining about Travis Hunter tackle numbers 👀
“If you see a cornerback with a lot of tackles that’s not a good sign” pic.twitter.com/qlYlGkmSv5
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) November 19, 2024
While his tackles may be low, Hunter makes up for it almost everywhere else defensively. His elite speed and footwork allow him to thrive in both zone and man coverage schemes, something that has resulted in many quarterbacks making it an emphasis around college football to avoid throwing the ball in his direction.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hunter holds an 88.2 defensive coverage grade, which translates to seventh best in college football. This feat, in addition to his three interceptions on the season, firmly places Hunter at the top of Heisman Trophy ranks and details the reasoning behind his low tackle rate.
As is clear, Prime Time Sanders is not even slightly concerned with his Colorado Buffaloes star’s low tackling rate. As the statistics show, Hunter makes up for this minimal number in almost every other aspect of his defensive game.
Couple that with his extraordinary abilities on the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver as well and it is clear that Sanders is well-founded in his quick yet blunt reasoning as to why he is not at all worried about Hunter’s low tackles.