Top recruit in the class of 2022, Travis Hunter, joins Coach Prime’s Buffs
Dec 21, 2022, 9:14 PM
Travis Hunter was the best high school football player in the country just a year ago, the type of prospect who never comes to Boulder and instead lands in the SEC.
But with Deion Sanders now leading the Colorado Buffaloes, Travis Hunter is re-joining his coach from Jackson State and coming to Boulder. The former consensus five-star prospect was the No. 1 overall prospect in the country last winter. He made national headlines last December when spurred offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and others while flipping his commitment from Sanders’ Florida State to become a Tiger. The Florida native became the highest-ranked prospect to ever commit to an HBCU or an FCS program.
On Wednesday night, Hunter capped a productive first signing day for Coach Prime in Boulder by announcing his transfer to Colorado on his YouTube.
Hunter showed out in JSU’s spring game, the first from HBCU to be nationally televised, catching two touchdown passes and picking off another two passes. He finished his season with a bang, showing out in the Celebration Bowl, continuing his great connection with quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
In addition to being one of the best defensive backs playing collegiately, Hunter moonlights as a wide receiver. In his final game for the Tigers, he caught four passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns while playing both sides of the ball.
Hunter is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound player who before the bowl game had broken up seven passes, made two interceptions, and housed a defensive touchdown. Meanwhile, like his coach, he also helped on offense, scoring two touchdowns on 14 catches for 143 yards, stats before the bowl game.
The consensus five-star cornerback spent most of the season injured but certainly was a force when healthy. He already has several NIL deals including with Michael Strahan. Hunter will likely only be in Boulder for his sophomore and junior seasons ahead of the NFL Draft. He will join his teammate and quarterback, Sanders’ son Shedeur, at Folsom Field and could officially transfer as soon as Monday. But the two may wait a few weeks to officially join Colorado as Jackson State is headed to the Celebration Bowl later this month.
Isaiah Oliver was the last notable defensive back to play for Colorado, going in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He finished a run of a few great DBs playing for the school including Tedric Thompson, Ahkello Witherspoon and Chidobe Awuzie, who were all selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Buffs last first-rounder in the Draft was also a DB, in 2011 when Jimmie Smith was selected by the Ravens and Nate Solder, a tackle, went a few picks ahead.
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