'That's My Quarterback': Travis Hunter's Relationship with Mizzou's Sam Horn, Kevin Coleman Jr.

But Drinkwitz was more focused on the kid throwing Hunter the passes; quarterback Sam Horn. When Drinkwitz went on a recruiting trip to Georgia, Horn still stuck out even while he played with the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022.

"When I went to watch him play in high school, he was the best player on the field," Drinkwitz said of Horn in a press conference in April. "Travis Hunter was on that field, too, but Sam Horn was the best player out there."

When Hunter committed to play for head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State following his impressive senior season, he went to work as another recruiter for 'coach Prime.'

Hunter called up another former teammate of his in wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. The two played together on a 7-on-7 team with former NFL quarterback Cam Newton.

Hunter played a vital role in recruiting Coleman to Jackson State, Coleman's father told MissouriOn SI.

Even today, Hunter is still connected with both Coleman and Horn, saying Coleman is "still my boy," and that he talks to Horn "all the time."

Hunter has been one of, if not the most, popular stars in college football over his three seasons, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024. Now, the stage will become even bigger as he enters the NFL.

Next year, he expects to see his former wide receiver partner hear his name called at the NFL draft.

"Hopefully I get to see him here next year," Hunter said of Coleman.

Coleman was Jackson State's second-leading receiver in 2022, catching 33 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman. Hunter specifically complimented the slot receiver's route running ability.

Coleman will certainly play a key role for the Missouri offense in the 2025 season, and Horn will look to make a similar impact. Horn is competing to earn the Tigers' starting quarterback job after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024.

From his time in high school playing with a future star, and having to wait in the wings during his first three years with the program, Horn has had to learn how to find his own, unique role on a team as a leader.

"Sam’s always been a guy the team gets along with — a great teammate," Drinkwitz said in the press conference. "Now it’s his opportunity to compete for the job and adopt some of the leadership things Brady (Cook) did really well, but also just be him — be uniquely him. And he knows what that looks like."

Horn was able to establish notoriety of his own at Collins Hill, being recruited as a four-star prospect. During his final two seasons, he threw for 7,896 yards and 78 touchdowns. His leadership was apparent to Drinkwitz too.

It's even apparent from the way Hunter refers to Horn, channeling Terrell Owens to say "that's my quarterback."

"We’re talking about a guy who led his team to a state championship in Georgia," Drinkwitz said of Horn. "He knows what it looks like. He has that leadership and confidence."