INDIANAPOLIS – Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter could very well be the first player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he at least has a good shot at being the first non-quarterback taken. He is an elite athlete who plays both ways, but many feel his best fit is at cornerback. But when you look back through his performances as a defensive back, perhaps nobody exposed him more than Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor.
Rewind to 2023, and Stanford upset Colorado, 46-43, in double overtime after trailing 29-0 at halftime. Ayomanor was the single biggest catalyst of that rally with 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns in that game. He was matched up against Hunter throughout most of the second half. Just look at this catch over Hunter in one of the overtime periods.
I asked Ayomanor about this performance. While most receivers like to bask in their own glory, Ayomanor was quick to deflect everything to his teammates and how they helped him be successful.
“It’s honestly gotta be a whole team thing,” Ayomanor told me at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. “In the second half, the line really held their own out there and obviously Ashton [Daniels] was delivering the ball accurately and on time, and that’s all you can ask for as a receiver. It’s never really gonna be an individual effort there.”
That is an impressive answer, and a breath of fresh air when it comes to the wide receiver position. Ayomanor played 24 games in two seasons and had 125 receptions for 1,844 yards and 12 TDs.
He is listed at 6-2, 209 pounds (with the Combine measurements not yet taken) and takes pride in being impactful for the offense every step of the way.
“I’m not afraid to get dirty,” he said. “I love blocking. It’s something that I take pride in. If you get to the goal line, I’m not necessarily gonna ask you to throw me a fade. If you want me to come down tight and lock off the edge, I’m gonna do that. You’re gonna get somebody that is not afraid to do the dirty work.”
As the NFL swings back toward run-first offenses and a more physical style of play, big receivers who are willing and able to block will become more valuable, and Ayomanor fits the description.
He comes from Alberta, Canada, so perhaps some of that tough mentality comes from his background in Canada’s favorite pastime, hockey.
“I started playing hockey when I was young,” Ayomanor said. “At some point in middle school, I really started falling in love with football. That’s when I decided to stop playing hockey and pursue football full time. And I honestly got really lucky to meet this guy named Justin Dillon from Toronto. I just got really lucky and as soon as he gave me the opportunity, I dumped hockey because I wanted to play at the highest level.”
But he is far from just all brawn. Ayomanor has the brains as well.
Stanford has a high standard even for its athletes, and he described it as a sacrifice that needed to be made to ensure his path to that program. While some athletes choose basic majors with less academic rigor, Ayomanor majored in computer science.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could use another big, athletic receiver, and they can also use one who is a force multiplier in that room with his leadership. Ayomanor absolutely has all of the qualities that would make him attractive to a team like Pittsburgh.
He confirmed that he had a formal meeting with the Steelers at the Combine and said it was great.
“He’s an awesome coach and an awesome man,” Ayomanor said of Mike Tomlin. “I really enjoyed the interview.”
Check out our full scouting report on Ayomanor below.
