College football’s early signing period brought some surprises, as it always does. But there was none bigger than No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter flipping his long-standing commitment from the Florida State Seminoles to the Jackson State Tigers. Deion Sanders said he did nothing wrong because Hunter didn’t belong to the ’Noles.
Time To Work @DeionSanders @ShedeurSanders ⏰🥷🏾 https://t.co/QwAueP1wBh
— Travis Hunter (@TravisHunterJr) December 19, 2021
Coach Prime talked about his HBCU power move on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
“He never belonged to them. I don’t think I took him. I saw the burning of the jerseys. I saw all that foolishness. I laughed my butt off, first of all. I think it was either the year before or the year before that, your head coach — who I’m very fond of and I think is a great coach and who I think will do tremendous feats for my alma mater called me to help him recruit a kid from Louisiana.”
https://twitter.com/travishunterjr/status/1471166038834356237?s=21
No. 1 Recruit Signing With An HBCU Is Unprecedented
The Power 5 programs usually land the top recruits in the country. But not all HBCUs have an NFL Hall of Famer, two-time Super Bowl champion and the greatest cover cornerback in NFL history at the helm either.
Jackson State does. In addition to all of those accolades, Sanders also has the “gift of gab.” He’s a revenue-generator who can sell his product better than most, and all those factors played a role in his ability to secure a recruit that no other coach in HBCU football could flip. The legacy and brand visibility that Coach Prime is building in Jackson and the fact that Hunter also plays the same position didn’t hurt the decision.
We’re not only trying to win we’re trying to DOMINATE! We must be Smart, tough, fast, and disciplined. Thank you for having me on @richeisen @RichEisenShow #CoachPrime https://t.co/3rbE0x9HVc
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) December 25, 2021
Hunter’s decision brought along some major reaction on signing day, and Sanders said it’s a sign of the times.
“People are always astonished for what they hadn’t seen,” Sanders said. “And they hadn’t seen a young man of that caliber go to an HBCU in the last 30 years, so that’s why they’re surprised. Then, the idiots start to think foul play. How we going to play foul when we don’t have the funding? If we had funding, now you could play the game like everyone else has, but we don’t have that.”
🎄#IBelieve pic.twitter.com/MqBVpGMMtV
— Jackson State Football (@gojsutigersfb) December 25, 2021
The Florida State Seminoles have been mired in mediocrity for the better part of five seasons. Hunter was a huge piece that was set to be the linchpin to adding more top talent.
Hunter is a two-way star that will definitely see time on both sides of the football in college. His highlights on offense and defense are jaw-dropping, and the Seminoles could’ve used that type of recruiting jolt as a former powerhouse program now bordering on obscurity.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season#NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/dnQCc8KfGt
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) December 25, 2021
Coach Prime Is In It To Win It: JSU Has The Right Guy Running Things, ’Noles Could’ve Hired Him
Coach Prime is quick to tell everyone he isn’t afraid of recruiting against the big money Power 5 programs. In fact, he says he enjoys it. He just out-recruited the Power 5 schools to land Hunter, and he ain’t done.
Would Deion Sanders Leave Jackson State To Return To Alma Mater FSU?
There’s still time for him to add more elite talent via the transfer portal, and we still have National Signing Day in February. You have to believe Coach Prime and the Tigers are in on some of the unsigned prospects even if they are verbally committed to other schools. He did it with Hunter, so he’s definitely capable of doing it again.
And that’s really pissing off the Power programs who have feasted on top tier Black talent for decades.
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