Multi-talented is a word that understates how great of a player Travis Hunter is. One might think that playing wide receiver and cornerback is an easy job because of how similar the two positions are — just track down your opponent’s movement and catch the ball. However, it is never that easy and the Colorado Buffaloes superstar just makes it seem that way. How did he start out in West Palm Beach and make his way into being a staple in Coach Deion Sanders’ rotation? Let’s all learn the story.

Moving around

Travis Hunter was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. His parents, Travis Sr. and Ferrante Edmonds gave birth to him on May 18, 2003. However, they would eventually move to Georgia as the young athlete grew up. His career started to make waves all around the world of football when he played for Collins Hill High School. Travis Sr. was a big influence in his decision to play the sport because he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the Southern States Football League back in 2007.

The young Travis was primarily known as a receiver in his younger years. As a junior, he notched the MaxPreps Georgia Player of the Year award when he broke the Gwinnett County records with his 1,746 receiving yards on 137 receptions. His efforts even led to 24 touchdowns and a Class 7A state title championship.

His prowess on the defensive end of the field started to show in his last high school playing year. Hunter forced a fumble once, scored 23 tackles, and even got four interceptions. The Collins Hill High School staff also ensured that his offensive performances were still great. Despite falling short of his career-highs from the previous year, he still got 1,128 receiving yards while making 76 catches and 10 touchdowns. Not to mention, he also led his high school to win the GEICO State Championship Bowl Series after suffering an ankle injury.

All of his effort along with shattering the Georgia State receiving touchdown record got him picked for the 2022 Polynesian Bowl where he would win Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. He is yet another testament to how different players from Florida become when they get older.

HBCU over Power Five

Hunter was a highly-coveted five-star recruit and was rated that way by multiple outlets like Rivals. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, and Oklahoma among other programs gave the consensus number one overall prospect an offer. Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles won the sweepstakes for his commitment in the spring of 2020. However, he would rescind this in December of 2021. Who notched him instead? It was Deion Sanders who was making Jackson State a powerhouse program in the SWAC.

This decision for a top recruit to land in an HBCU over a Power Five school was unheard of and it was very clear that he would thrive with the HBCU program. Coach Prime’s decision to include Hunter in both the Tigers’ defensive and offensive rotations was a big plus for him.

Jackson State went far with the core of Coach Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, and Travis Hunter went far. They had an undefeated 12-0 season record before falling to MEAC’s North Carolina Central in the 2022 Celebration Bowl. Nonetheless, he still recorded big numbers in his freshman and lone year with the Tigers. Hunter got 188 receiving yards off 18 receptions and scored four touchdowns too. His defensive prowess also got him 19 total tackles with 15 of them being solo takedowns alongside two interceptions and pick-six.

Going a mile and millions higher

When the head honcho of a successful program leaves, his players often follow and this is exactly what Hunter did. Coach Prime joined the Colorado Buffaloes and rebuilt their roster off the transfer portal after a mass exodus. Who were at the core of this team? Hunter, Shilo, and Travis.

There were very real struggles that the Buffaloes underwent in their maiden season with Coach Sanders. They could not win and even got blown out. But, Hunter stepped up his game and there were notable improvements in his output. He got 57 receptions which led 721 receiving yards while also scoring five touchdowns. Defensively, he had 30 tackles and 22 of them were solo takedowns. Moreover, he also recorded three interceptions, and his bigger frame led to two tackles for loss.

Along with the spotlight in the FBS came a big paycheck because of the NIL. SoHoodie, EA Sports College Football 25, Actively Black, the Michael Strahan brand, and Greenwood Bank have invested in his talents. Hunter and his fiancee, Leanna Lenee also have a YouTube channel that is approaching 390,000 subscribers. These earnings and endorsements bring his total net worth to about $6 million.

The Buffaloes currently have a promising run going on as they are sixth in the Big 12 Conference with a 4-2 season record. If everything goes right, Hunter might end up as one of the top picks of the 2025 NFL Draft and might even take home a Bowl trophy by winter.