Key Takeaways
- Travis Hunter says he chose Deion Sanders and Jackson State over Florida State for the chance to earn a two-way role—not money: “I didn't care about the money.”
- Hunter credits Sanders with changing his life, followed him to Colorado and won the 2024 Heisman Trophy before entering the NFL.
- As Colorado’s struggles fuel questions about Sanders’ future, Hunter says his former coach still texts him encouragement every game day.
Travis Hunter says money had nothing to do with his decision to play for Deion Sanders. The Jacksonville Jaguars star recently explained why he passed on Florida State to join Coach Prime at Jackson State, saying Sanders offered him something more valuable than a potential payday: the chance to prove himself on both sides of the ball.
During the Oct. 28 episode of Chasing No. 1, hosted by Ja'Marr Chase and Annie Agar, Hunter revisited the recruitment that shocked college football. He admitted he was practically committed to Florida State before Sanders changed his mind.
"I was 100% going to Florida State," Hunter said.
What changed? Sanders didn't start by pitching Hunter. He started with his parents.
"He really talked to my mom first before he even came to talk to me," Hunter explained. "Just going out there talking to my parents" showed him the respect Sanders had for his family.
But the deciding factor came when Hunter asked whether Sanders would let him play wide receiver and cornerback.
"You want to play both sides of the ball? I'm definitely the coach that's going to—you know, I've done it before—but you're going to have to earn it," Hunter recalled Sanders telling him.
That answer was enough.
"That was pretty much the only answer. That's the only question I had for him," Hunter said. “I didn't care about the money, how they could get me there, or what they could do for me.”
Hunter's decision to join Jackson State in 2022 was one of the biggest recruiting surprises in recent college football history. The nation's top-ranked prospect bypassed a traditional powerhouse to play for Sanders at an HBCU.
When Sanders accepted Colorado's coaching job, Hunter followed him to Boulder. He told Chase that he briefly explored other opportunities but ultimately couldn't walk away from the coach who had transformed his career.
"I got too much respect for him," Hunter said. "He came and got me to not go to Florida State and changed my mindset, changed the picture of everything. He really changed my life for real."
But Sanders hasn't enjoyed the same success since Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders departed. Colorado finished 3-9 in 2025, and the program's continued struggles in 2026 have fueled questions about Coach Prime's future.
The criticism has intensified as Sanders attempts to rebuild the Buffaloes through another round of transfers and coaching changes.
Hunter, however, made clear that his relationship with Sanders extends well beyond their college careers.
“Every game day he texts me and tells me, 'Let's go,'” Hunter said, explaining that the tradition began when Sanders recruited him.
