Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) signs a trading card for a young fan after the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

3 Things to Know About Jaguars' Star Travis Hunter

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated May 9, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the biggest move of the 2025 NFL Draft when they traded up for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, and for good reason.

Hunter was the No. 1-ranked player on the consensus board, giving the Jaguars two consensus top players in Hunter and Trevor Lawrence.

With Hunter now in the fold, here are some facts about the Jaguars' newest superstar to get to know him even better.

Was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award

Hunter made big waves right out of high school. The No. 1 recruit in the nation, many had Hunter pegged to join the Florida State Seminoles but he instead committed to Jackson State and became the first five-star recruit to do so.

Hunter's time at Jackson State was an immediate success. During his freshman season, he was named a finalist for the illustrious Jerry Rice Award, handed out each year to the top freshman player in all of FCS football. Past winners include Cooper Kupp, Cam Ward, and Shedeur Sanders.

Made recruiting history

When Hunter committed to Jackson State, he became the first five-star recruit to sign with an FCS program since ESPN began ranking players in 2006. Hunter had offers from several of the top programs throughout the country as the nation's top recruit, but he opted to forge his own path and create a new culture at Jackson State under head coach Deion Sanders.

"It's a blessing to be able to play for him," Hunter said about Sanders after being drafted. "It got me this far, and I was also able to win the Heisman trophy and win a lot more awards on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball. He let me go out there and just do my thing. He let me be able to be myself, and it got me in a good place, so I was happy I made that decision to go play for him."

He was a dual-sport athlete

Drafting dual-sport athletes has become all the trend in recent NFL Drafts, and Hunter fits that to a tee. While he was a two-ways star for the football team for the Collins Hill Eagles, he also played point guard for the school's basketball team.