Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter lost his final college game, the Alamo Bowl against BYU, but when his name is called in the NFL draft nobody will remember how this season ended for Colorado.
Just all of the accolades, excitement and tabloid gossip that Hunter was able to succeed in. Latest mock drafts have the two-way sensation going No. 1 overall to the New England Patriots.
Travis Hunter Would Make $38.5M as No 1 Pick In 2025 NFL Draft
The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft will receive a four-year deal worth around $38.5 million, including a signing bonus of $24.8 million
With a huge bag coming in the near future, Hunter has announced that he will be signing with Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports Agency before the draft.
Known for his durability and unheralded versatility, Hunter will also pursue both sides of the ball on the pro level. Hunter is a rare talent whose brand should continue to grow while in the pros. He was already bringing in millions in NIL money, but now he has the total freedom to capitalize on his booming brand.
Travus Hunter Signs With Lil Wayne’s Sports Agency: Jonathan Wells Checks In With Locker Room
Former NFL running back Jonathan Wells is a product of the state of Louisiana, same as Lil Wayne. The River Ridge native, who’s also the first football player from his state to attend Ohio State, joined The Shadow League “Locker Room” podcast to discuss why this is a huge come up for Lil Wayne’s sports agency.
In the way that Rich Paul was able to secure LeBron James and then have James bring other big names to Klutch Sports, Hunter will be a magnet of respectability and legitimacy for Wayne’s expansion in this business field.
Young Money beat out other major sports agencies, including WME, CAA, Klutch Sports Group, and Athletes First, among others according to sources. Young Money was probably a dark horse favorite, but in the same way he flipped on Florida State to go to an HBCU and learn from a legend in Deion Sanders, Hunter is now Young Money and his connection with one of hip-hop’s legend is on brand for the Florida native.
“Obviously Travis feels comfortable with him and, let’s be clear, Lil Wayne is not going to be taking care of any of the business,” Wells said of the agency that will now be handling Hunter’s on-field representation and playing contracts. “It’s going to be the lawyers that he has under his sports agency. Travis will be just fine; he just has to do like he would do with any other agency.”
Former NFL RB Jonathan Wells Says Travis Hunter Must Still Watch His Money
As an NFL veteran of four seasons (2002-2006), Wells has seen too many players lose millions of dollars by not being financially aware and putting their negotiations and money management solely in the hands of other people. Wells says Hunter has to be aware of the same pitfalls, regardless of who he signs with.
“They all steal, they all do what they gotta do behind the scenes,” said Wells in reference to sports agencies in general. “You have to make sure you put yourself in a position to protect your money, know what’s going on. Just don’t leave everything for them to handle. You have to be hands-on in your business. That’s how a lot of guys got, got back in the days. So he probably has a great supporting cast of mentors around him. So I’m sure they will be able to walk him through it and hopefully he doesn’t have the horror stories that a lot of guys did back in the day”
How Did Lil Wayne and Travis Hunter Hookup?
The Travis-Lil Wayne connection does seem a bit sudden. There are reports that Hunter has been a Lil Wayne fan for a while, but at his Heisman speech, Hunter admitted that he didn’t know any of Wayne’s music until his much-maligned fiancée, Leanna Lenee introduced him to the world of Weezy F Baby. From that moment on, Wayne’s list of hits was the soundtrack for Hunter’s pregame warmups and workouts.
Hunter even thanked Weezy in his Heisman speech right before he started singing lyrics from ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’. Now everyone understands what Lil Wayne was doing at the Heisman announcement.
So Lil Wayne must have put the full court press on Travis because everything seemed to transpire quickly and the agency was able to get the biggest fish of the 2025 NFL draft, the Heisman Trophy winner.
Travis Hunter Is Big Fish Young Money Sports Agency & Lil Wayne Needed
Young Money currently has a diverse roster spanning multiple sports, including NFL, NBA, and soccer. They now represent new Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, who signed a two-year, $8 million NIL deal to transfer from Tulane. The agency also reps Colorado defensive end Jehiem Oatis, a former five-star recruit who recently transferred from Alabama.
As Hunter transitions to professional football, his management team’s expertise will be crucial in navigating the complexities of NFL contract negotiations and brand development.
“When we saw Lil’ Wayne at the Heisman Trophy celebration, maybe it wasn’t unexpected. Obviously they’ve been able to build that bond over the past couple of years and he’s comfortable with Wayne looking over his money,” Wells told “Locker Room” host Osei The Dark Secret. “So we will see how it works out. But I wish him well. Hopefully, he has the right people in place, He seems like a great young man.”
Despite all of the drama surrounding Hunter and his relationship with Lenee, his fortunes in life are looking incredible, and he is about to be introduced to the world on the biggest stage in sports.
