With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to reflect on how the Jacksonville Jaguars fared. Did rookie GM James Gladstone deliver a masterclass, or has he just set the Jags back five years? Truth is, we probably won’t know that for some time. But we can get to know the newest members of the team a little bit better. In the first of a mini-series of deep dives, here are three things to know about Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado:
‘Unicorn’
Starting this mini-series with Travis Hunter is tricky, as he’s one of the most high-profile draft prospects in recent memory. There’s not much we don’t already know! But where else can we begin? In his first year at the helm, James Gladstone laid out some pretty significant draft capital to move up and get Hunter, alluding to the special talent that he is. So with that in mind, I thought we’d start with taking a look at some outlandish stats and accolades from his college career…
Let’s head back to the very beginning, where Hunter became the first ever five-star high school prospect (and #1 overall prospect in the country) to sign for an FCS football program. Partnering up with Deion Sanders at Jackson State, Hunter unsurprisingly made a big impact as a freshman despite playing in just eight games. Showing his two-way versatility, Hunter won SWAC Freshman of the Year and All-SWAC accolades after putting up 20 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions - returning one for a touchdown. On offense he amassed 188 yards and four scores - with 135 yards and all the touchdowns coming in his last four games. Hunter was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman player in FCS football, and finished his short stint with the JSU Tigers as a conference champion.
So not a bad start! Of course, as we all know, Hunter followed Deion to Boulder, transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes and turning from promising prospect to bonafide star. Cementing himself as the most valuable player in college football, Hunter would play an incredible 2,625 snaps in two seasons - this, despite missing five games due to injury. The numbers are jaw-dropping as he played his part resurrecting the Buffs’ football program to relevance; 67 tackles (48 solo), seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups and a forced fumble on defense, and 171 receptions for 2,167 yards and 24 touchdowns on offense. Despite being at Colorado for just two years, Hunter left the school as the most decorated player in program history - collecting the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Bednarik Award, Hornung Award, Biletnikoff Award and National Player of the Year honors, as well as countless All-American nominations.
If you weren’t sure, then you are now - Travis Hunter is one of the greatest players in the history of college football.
Humble
Okay, so that’s the obvious out of the way. And unless you’ve been living under a rock since the draft, you’ll probably be aware of just how down to earth Travis Hunter is too. But hopefully there’s some stories in this section that you may not have come across. Despite being labelled a prestigious talent since a young age, Hunter has always been able to stay humble, empathetic and compassionate - impressive traits in anyone, but even more so when you consider the challenges he faced in his youth. Battling poverty and homelessness, and with crime a part of his family upbringing as is well-documented, Hunter has seemingly never taken a misstep. A credit to his family and support structure, he is more well-known for his acts of philanthropy and thoughtfulness…
At both stops of his college career, Hunter is renowned for setting aside hours of his own time to meet with young fans wishing to meet with him for pictures and autographs. Whilst with the Buffs, Hunter participated in a couple of charitable projects, raising more than $10,000 for Children’s Hospital Colorado - a cause that is close to his heart and a venue he has visited frequently. And perhaps one of his most understated gestures was to create a YouTube video with Henry Blackburn, the Colorado State player who injured him with a late hit in their bruising 2023 rivalry game. Following the incident Blackburn had to endure death threats, and Hunter collaborated with him for the social media hit to curb these acts of hatred.
Since the draft, Hunter has gone viral (if he could be any more viral) for a wonderful exchange with Sandy Hawkins Combs on an airplane. Ms Combs, a nurse, had no idea she was sitting next to the latest Jaguars’ superstar - and, well, the tweet above does the rest of the talking. A wholesome moment; Hunter is fast becoming the poster child for every aspiring young football star in America.
Hunter-Gatherer?
Outside of football, Travis Hunter has, like all of us, some unusual interests. Maybe one of his most well-known hobbies is fishing - a pastime that he and his cousin have been enjoying since the age of seven. It’s a hobby he shares with his former coach Deion Sanders, but Hunter is adamant that nobody can ‘beat him’ at it. The competition doesn’t begin and end on the gridiron it seems…
Other hobbies for Hunter are more standard for a young athlete. He’s a gamer, who often streams his playstation gaming via Twitch and TikTok. Social media is a big part of Hunter’s life, with most of his activities filmed in one way or another, and he owns a variety of cameras for his own vlogs and YouTube hits. His fondness for fashion is as well-documented as it is obvious by his time on the NFL Draft red carpet. He has in the region of 100 pairs of trainers (supplied mostly by Nike), and is obsessed with onesies and big slippers. Hunter is well-educated, maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his time at college, and enjoys reading. His favourite book is a bible, which he takes with him everywhere, but his library extends beyond that.
We’ll finish off with some more peculiar wants and needs; Hunter has confessed in the past that he cannot live without baby lotion and soap as part of his skincare routine. He’s also a big snacker, with Cheetos, Doritos and sour sweets some of his favorites and filling his cupboards. And finally, when it comes to food, everything is drowned in Texas Pete’s hot sauce. So there you have it! Hopefully you know a little more about the Jags’ newest star