Kinne said he pitched Graves as potentially becoming the “Travis Hunter of the Pac-12.” The Kilgore product played both sides of the ball in high school, which isn’t uncommon. The list of college two-way players is much smaller and includes Hall of Famers such as Charles Woodson, Jim Thorpe and Champ Bailey.
Graves worked with the wide receivers this offseason as he adjusted to the college ranks. But he got his first taste of defense Wednesday, spending the individual period with the defensive backs. Graves seemed to receive more direct attention from safeties/special teams coach Tanner Burns as a newcomer, before moving back to offense for the team period.
“He’s such a special person when it comes to his work ethic and his intelligence that I think he’ll have a real chance to get in there,” Kinne said Wednesday.
Injuries — defensive backs Christopher Jones and Jayden Lawton attended Wednesday’s practice but did not participate — played a part in Graves’ move, Kinne said. The Bobcats also have a logjam of talent at wide receiver, which allowed them to experiment with Graves’ position.
Kinne said he doesn’t expect the freshman to learn the playbook in such a short period of time. Graves’ main job will be on special teams and within the receiver rotation, where he’ll have to compete with the likes of Kylen Evans, Tucker Cusano and fellow freshman Dameon Crowe. The top two receiver spots are spoken for as Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks each ripped off 1,000-yard seasons.
Expecting Graves to reach the historic level of production Hunter set at Jackson State then Colorado is an unfair standard to hold anyone to. Kinne recognizes that he can’t overload his athlete with expectations. After all, it’s not unheard of for a receiver to practice at defensive back. Regardless, Graves will have a shot to prove he can become an regular on both sides.
“Don’t want to put too much on his plate with being a young kid…” Kinne said. “But I’m excited to see him get over there and do a little bit (on defense).”