Travis Hunter (American football)

Last updated

Travis Hunter
Travis Hunter Jackson State.jpg
Hunter with the Jackson State Tigers in 2022
Colorado Buffaloes–No. 12
Position
ClassJunior
Major Psychology
Personal information
Born: (2003-05-18) May 18, 2003 (age 21)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career history
College
High school Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia)
Career highlights and awards

Travis Hunter Jr. (born May 18, 2003) is an American football cornerback and wide receiver for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously played for the Jackson State Tigers, where he was the highest-ranked prospect to ever commit to an FCS school. Hunter transferred to Colorado in 2023, winning the Paul Hornung Award and earning consensus All-American honors that season.

Contents

Early life

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Hunter moved to Georgia in eighth grade. [1] He attended Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, where he played cornerback and wide receiver for the Eagles. As a sophomore, he led the county with seven interceptions while recording 49 receptions for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns. [1] As a junior, Hunter made eight interceptions and 51 tackles in addition to catching 137 passes for 1,746 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning MaxPreps Georgia Player of the Year honors. [2] He also set Gwinnett County single-season records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, [1] leading the Eagles to a 12–3 record and an appearance in the Class 7A state title game. [2]

As a senior, Travis Hunter recorded 76 receptions for 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense and 23 tackles, four interceptions, and a forced fumble on defense, [3] even after missing five games due to a mid-season ankle injury. [4] In the state title game, he made 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, as well as a forced fumble, to cap off a perfect 15–0 record and Collins Hill's first state championship in school history. [5] In his final high school game, Hunter made 10 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns in their 40–36 defeat to Washington state champs Graham-Kapowsin in the GEICO State Championship Bowl Series. [6] He also broke the Georgia state record in career receiving touchdowns, previously held by Braxton Hicks, with 48. [6]

Hunter was selected to play in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl, where he won Offensive MVP honors after recording five receptions for 54 yards, in addition to an interception on defense. [7]

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Travis Hunter
CB		 Suwanee, Georgia Collins Hill6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg)Dec 15, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 5 stars.svg     247Sports: 5 stars.svg     ESPN: 5 stars.svg
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Hunter was considered the number one overall recruit by both 247Sports.com and Rivals.com, [8] [9] as well as number two by ESPN (behind Walter Nolen). [10] After having received a scholarship from Florida State in November 2019, he committed to the Seminoles on March 3, 2020, one day after making his first visit to the school. [11] He made his choice over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma, among others. [8]

On December 15, 2021, Hunter flipped his commitment to the Jackson State Tigers coached by Deion Sanders, a Florida State alum, in an unprecedented move. [3] [12] [13] He had visited the school the month before, attending their sellout Soul Bowl victory on November 20. [14] As the number one recruit in the nation, Hunter became the first five-star recruit to ever sign with an HBCU or FCS school. [12] Dustin Lewis of Sports Illustrated called it "probably the most shocking decision in the history of college football recruiting" while Steve Wiltfong, the national director of recruiting for 247Sports, said it was "the biggest signing day moment in the history of college football". [3] [13]

College career

Jackson State

Hunter recorded two receiving touchdowns and two interceptions in the Jackson State spring game, which was the first HBCU spring game to ever be nationally televised. [15] Hunter made his collegiate debut in week 1 against Florida A&M, but did not record any statistics. In the win, Hunter sustained an undisclosed injury that kept him out five games. [16] Hunter returned in week 7 victory against Campbell where he had four receptions for 24 yards. In week 10, Hunter recorded his first collegiate touchdown as well as his first interception against Alabama A&M. [17] In week 11, Hunter had two receptions for a season high 49 yards and one touchdown against Alcorn State. He also recorded an interception for the second consecutive week. In the 2022 Celebration Bowl, Hunter had four receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. [18] As a freshman, Hunter accumulated 19 total tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown in seven games played. On offense, he added 18 receptions for 188 yards and four touchdowns. [19]

Colorado

Hunter transferred to the University of Colorado in 2023, following Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders. [20] In his FBS debut, Hunter played 147 total snaps across offense and defense in a 45-42 upset win over the TCU Horned Frogs. [21] [22] In the win, Hunter had 11 receptions for 119 yards and three tackles with an interception on defense. [23] In week 3, Hunter sustained an injury during Colorado's overtime victory over rival Colorado State, that sidelined him for the next three games. [24] Hunter returned from injury week 7 against Stanford where he hauled in a season high 13 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. [25] In week 8, Hunter caught two interceptions against number 23 ranked UCLA. [26] In week 9, Hunter had eight catches for 98 yards and a score against number 16 ranked Oregon State. [27] In week 11, Hunter had four receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown against Washington State. In the season finale, Hunter caught eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown against Utah. [28] On the season, Hunter hauled in 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, he recorded three interceptions and 30 tackles. [29] He totaled 1,102 snaps including 475 on offense, 631 on defense and 32 on special teams, averaging 114.7 per game. [30] He was named a 2023 Consensus All-American and second-team All-PAC-12. [31] [32] Hunter was also named recipient of the Paul Hornung Award. [33]

To open the 2024 season, Hunter had seven receptions for 132 yards and three touchdowns in the win over North Dakota State. [34] In the September 21 game against Baylor, Hunter made the game-winning forced fumble at the goal line in a 38–31 overtime thriller. [35]

College statistics

SeasonGamesReceivingTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgTDSoloAstCmbTfLSckIntYdsAvgTDPDFRFFTD
Jackson State Tigers
2022 881818810.44154190.00.024422.018100
Colorado Buffaloes
2023 995772112.65228302.00.03–10–3.305000
2024 554656112.26115161.00.023819.002030
Career21211211,47212.2154917663.00.077210.28115110

Personal life

Hunter's father, Travis Sr., played in the Florida Football Alliance and the Southern States Football League, winning the latter's Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007. [36] Hunter has NIL deals with companies such as Greenwood and several of Michael Strahan's brands. [37] [38] [39] He was one of the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 25 along with Donovan Edwards and Quinn Ewers. [40]

Hunter is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Leanna Lenee. [41] [42] They host a YouTube channel together that as of September 2024 has about 385,000 subscribers. [43]

Notes

  1. ↑ Selected as all-purpose / return specialist
  2. ↑ Selected as all-purpose / special teams player (not a kicker or returner)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Hammock, Will (August 17, 2021). "SUPER SIX FOOTBALL: Collins Hill's Travis Hunter makes case as Gwinnett's best ever". Phelps County Focus. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Travis Hunter named 2020 MaxPreps Georgia High School Football Player of the Year". MaxPreps . January 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Lewis, Dustin (December 15, 2021). "BREAKING: No. 1 prospect Travis Hunter makes his college decision". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Dustin (November 22, 2021). "No. 1 prospect Travis Hunter set to play in Georgia 7A state championship game". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  5. ↑ Friedlander, David (December 11, 2021). "Collins Hill caps perfect football season with first state championship". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Friedlander, David (December 18, 2021). "Collins Hill loses heartbreaker to Washington State champion in GEICO Bowl Series". Gwinnett Daily Post . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ Carr, Tolly (January 23, 2022). "Travis Hunter named MVP at Polynesian Bowl". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Travis Hunter". 247Sports.com . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Travis Hunter". Rivals.com . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Travis Hunter". ESPN . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ Weiler, Curt (March 3, 2020). "2022 defensive back Travis Hunter Jr. commits to Florida State". Tallahassee Democrat . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Collins Hill's Travis Hunter signs with Jackson State". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Cobb, David (December 15, 2021). "Travis Hunter to Jackson State: In all-time stunner, Deion Sanders steals No. 1 prospect from Florida State". CBS Sports . Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  14. ↑ Garcia Jr., John (November 22, 2021). "Deion Sanders, Jackson State Host Travis Hunter in Rare Visit for Top Recruits and HBCUs". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Khari (April 24, 2022). "Three observations from Jackson State football's spring game, Travis Hunter's debut". The Clarion-Ledger . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  16. ↑ Keith, J.T. (September 27, 2022). "Travis Hunter injury update: Jackson State football DB close to return". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  17. ↑ Keith, J. T. (November 12, 2022). "Jackson State football's Travis Hunter intercepts first pass on heels of first touchdown". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  18. ↑ Howell, Brian (August 31, 2024). "Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter have special connection in leading CU Buffs offense". Longmont Times-Call. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  19. ↑ "2022 Season Stats (PDF)" (PDF). Jackson State University. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ Sallee, Barrett (December 21, 2022). "Travis Hunter transfers to Colorado: Former No. 1 recruit follows Deion Sanders from Jackson State". CBS Sports . Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  21. ↑ Howell, Brian (September 3, 2023). "Football notes: CU Buffs' Travis Hunter shines on both sides of ball". BuffZone. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Prime shocker: Colorado upsets No. 17 TCU 45-42 in Deion Sanders' debut as Buffs coach". CBSSports.com. Associated Press. September 2, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ Singh, Sanjesh (September 2, 2023). "Who is Travis Hunter? Meet Colorado's breakout WR, DB hybrid". NBC Boston. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  24. ↑ Parks, James (October 10, 2023). "Travis Hunter injury update: Colorado football star's status for Stanford game". SI.com. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Down 29, Stanford stuns Colorado in 2OT thriller". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 14, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  26. ↑ Curtright, Austin (October 29, 2023). "Colorado football's Travis Hunter records two first-half INTs vs. UCLA". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Oregon State at Colorado Box Score, November 4, 2023". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Colorado at Utah Box Score, November 25, 2023". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Travis Hunter 2023 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  30. ↑ Walker, Emanuel (August 2, 2024). "Deion Sanders says Travis Hunter is 'untouchable' to start fall camp". SI.com. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Consensus All-America Teams (2020-2023)". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  32. ↑ Howell, Brian (December 5, 2023). "Travis Hunter leads group of CU Buffs to receive All-Pac-12 recognition". BuffZone. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Travis Hunter Wins Paul Hornung Award As Nation's Most Versatile Player". University of Colorado Buffaloes Athletics. December 6, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter help Colorado hold off NDSU 31-26 to start Year 2 under Deion Sanders". CBS Colorado. August 29, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  35. ↑ Lytle, Kevin (September 22, 2024). "Travis Hunter and CU survive against Baylor as fans storm field". The Coloradoan. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  36. ↑ Wallace, Eric J. (September 5, 2022). "What if Travis Hunter Jr. followed his father's path to stardom in Boynton Beach?". Tallahassee Democrat . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  37. ↑ Thompson, Khari (February 16, 2022). "Travis Hunter, nation's No. 1 college football prospect, signs NIL deal with Black-owned coffee company". The Clarion-Ledger . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Greenwood and Travis Hunter Sign NIL Deal and Partner to Launch the "Choose Black" Campaign". Business Wire. July 27, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  39. ↑ Keith, J.T. (September 15, 2022). "Jackson State's Travis Hunter signs NIL deal with Michael Strahan Brand". The Clarion-Ledger . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  40. ↑ Rittenberg, Adam (May 16, 2024). "Hunter, Ewers, Edwards share video game cover". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  41. ↑ Bachar, Zach (February 4, 2024). "Colorado's Travis Hunter Announces Engagement to Girlfriend Leanna in IG Photo". Bleacher Report . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  42. ↑ Morrison, Dan (February 4, 2024). "Travis Hunter gets engaged to longtime girlfriend Leanna Lenee". On3.com. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  43. ↑ "Travis and Leanna - YouTube". YouTube . Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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