Even in Boulder’s thinner air, the shadow of Jaguars’ 2nd pick, Travis Hunter, looms large. Certainly, it’s not easy to stand out when the guy across from you is a two-way unicorn Heisman winner whose highlight tape looks like something from a video game. The cameras, the flashbulbs, the constant buzz—all of it follows Hunter. And sure, some players might bristle in that environment. But what if the best cornerback at Colorado this fall isn’t the five-star showstopper with national NIL deals? Instead, it’ll be a player who wasn’t ranked in the Top 100 players in the State of Texas his senior year, and transferred to CU from Oklahoma State without a lot of fanfare.
Meet DJ McKinney, Colorado Buffaloes’ redshirt junior CB, who was recently named in the 2025 All-Big 12 Offensive preseason list. A far cry from a media darling coming out of high school, McKinney wasn’t even ranked in the Top 100 players in Texas. No hat ceremony. No five-star label. Just a low three-star recruit. Now, he’s poised to be CU’s No. 1 outside corner, and he’s not shy about the road it took to get there.
Asked at Big 12 Media Days if he ever felt like he was in Hunter’s shadow, DJ McKinney told BuffStampede.com’s Adam Munsterteiger, “I never thought I was in Travis’ shadow. I welcomed playing on the other side of him because I knew it was going to come with a lot. I knew it was going to come with a test. So, I was ready for the challenge.” And what a test it was. In fact, Travis Hunter was just a two-way player; DJ is a two-sport athlete in football and track and field (100 meters, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump).
Image Credits: Imago
In 2024, with opposing quarterbacks steering clear of Hunter’s orbit, DJ McKinney was the one who got picked on—and responded. He logged nine pass breakups, three interceptions, and 62 total tackles, ranking third on the team. He even showed a little muscle in the run game with three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Beyond the turnovers, the Arlington-born coverage was consistently sticky. Advanced metrics from PFF highlighted just how effective he was: McKinney earned a 75.3 coverage grade for the 2024 season, one of the better marks on the team and extremely strong for a sophomore corner facing top competition. Passers targeting McKinney managed only a 58.1 passer rating on those plays, well below the NCAA average passer rating.
McKinney’s arrival in Boulder didn’t come with fireworks, but he says the decision to transfer paid off instantly. “Oh yeah, most definitely. A lot played into it. Coach Prime being there, the scheme of the defense, and everything. A lot played into it, but yeah,” McKinney said. And working under Deion Sanders—one of the greatest corners of all time—was no small part of the equation. “He just pours into me every day, whether it’s technique off the line, receiver tendencies, film study. And then off the field, he’s just a great mentor. Also, making sure I’m becoming a great man, making sure my teammates are becoming great men and just embracing us.”
That development arc wasn’t just emotional—it was tactical. Colorado’s defense required its corners to operate on an island, pressing in man coverage and carrying verticals without much help over the top. It’s a pressure cooker scheme, and while Hunter got the glory, it was McKinney who logged the most defensive snaps of anyone on the team. That workload earned him an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention from league coaches and laid the foundation for this preseason nod. The kid from nowhere was suddenly everywhere.
And here’s a fun twist—while Hunter dazzled with his two-way prowess, McKinney brought two-sport credibility of his own. That blend of short-area burst and long speed shows up all over his tape, particularly in closing windows late and sticking with twitchy slot types. There’s a difference between hype and impact.
Deion Sanders knows DJ McKinney has “that guy” energy at CU
If DJ McKinney was quietly building momentum heading into the fall, Coach Prime just cranked the volume to 11. A key piece of Colorado’s 2025 identity. And based on how Deion Sanders talks about his rising star, the runway is clear for McKinney to take flight as that guy in the Buffs’ secondary.
“He’s long, rangy, practices with attitude,” Sanders told ESPN during Big 12 Media Days, visibly lit up talking about McKinney’s rise. “I called him the other day. I said, ‘I’m seeing your name everywhere, my man. What does that mean? You’re good? You’ve arrived?’ He said, ‘Coach, I’m working.’ That’s what I want to hear.” Now expected to step into a much larger role in CU’s secondary, McKinney is walking the exact blueprint Travis Hunter left behind. And Prime sees it every day—the habits, the intensity, the obsession with doing things the right way.
“This kid works his b— off to be that guy, and he’s seen what that guy looks like,” Sanders explained. “Over on the other side last year, it was that guy. He understands how that guy practices, how that guy prepares, how that guy treats his body, how that guy makes sure he don’t put anything immune in his body, how that guy understands the game… He’s seen that and he wants to emulate and imitate that guy.” That guy? It’s Travis Hunter. It’s now to be seen how much McKinney can fill the big shoes of Hunter.
The post Colorado CB’s Blunt Message on Being Under Travis Hunter Shadow as He Reflects Buffs Move appeared first on EssentiallySports.