After just three days of very little intrigue, Travis Hunter, the 2022 No. 1 overall ranked player, has committed to the University of Colorado. Hunter entered the transfer portal on Monday after playing his freshman season at Jackson State under then-head coach Deion Sanders.
From the time Sanders made the announcement that he was leaving the HBCU for the Power Five institution in Boulder, Colorado, the belief was Hunter would join his coach and mentor.
There were reports that he received interest from power programs such as Georgia and UVA among other schools, but nothing that would influence Hunter’s decision to break ties with Coach Prime.
Travis Hunter Announced Decision Once YouTube Followers Hit 100,000
In an attempt to drum up some more YouTube followers, Hunter, the dynamic two-way star said he’d make his decision once his followers got up to 100,000. As of Wednesday morning, that number was at 73,000, by late Wednesday it had reached 113,000, an increase of 40,000 followers. Hunter kept his promise and immediately announced his commitment to Coach Prime and the Buffaloes.
Here’s how his commitment went down.
“I committed to Coach Prime at Jackson State when he was there, and I want to honor my commitment and stay with him. I’ve got to stay with my dog,” Hunter said.
Breaking: Travis Hunter announced he will be transferring to Colorado. pic.twitter.com/tgrsViF0RI
— ESPN (@espn) December 22, 2022
Deion Raved About Hunter During Interview With Shannon Sharpe
Ever since Hunter entered the portal on Sunday, he was expected to follow Sanders to Boulder. And while he did play coy, no one believed he was really looking at going anywhere else.
In fact, Coach Prime sort of set the stage during his interview with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on his “Club Shay Shay” podcast. When asked by Sharpe what makes Hunter special, Sanders said:
“Trav has got a want inside of him that’s insatiable. He has a work ethic that’s unparalleled, and he ain’t scared of the moment. A lot of guys are afraid of the moment. They say they want the rock, but then you don’t win. When Hunter is calling for it, he’s going to win.”
Prime’s analysis of Hunter is supported by his touchdown catch on the final play of regulation in last week’s Celebration Bowl to force overtime. The catch, and the timing of the grab, displayed everything that Coach Prime said about his prized recruit turned transfer portal grab.
SHEDEUR SANDERS WITH THE MOON BALL AS TIME EXPIRES AND TRAVIS HUNTER JR. A GENERATIONAL TALENT MAKES THE TOUCHDOWN GRAB
OT FOR THE CELEBRATION BOWL ‼️‼️ https://t.co/Jfg6ZFge3M
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) December 17, 2022
Travis Hunter Has Great Relationship With Shedeur Sanders
Not only is Hunter close with Deion, he’s also extremely close with Shedeur, who also transferred to Colorado. Since Hunter’s arrival to Jackson State last January, the two have been inseparable, and that won’t change now that they’re in Boulder together.
The two connected on and off the field. With Hunter playing both ways and nursing some nagging injuries from his high school days, he was used sparingly on offense most of the season. He still tallied 18 receptions for 188 yards and four touchdowns, with two of those coming in the Celebration Bowl loss to NCCU.
Where Is Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting Class Ranked?
Hunter’s commitment, along with four-star recruits in running back Dylan Edwards and wide receiver Adam Hopkins, two players they flipped from Notre Dame and Auburn, helped Coach Prime and the Buffaloes land the 29th-ranked recruiting class.
Not bad for two weekends of work.
