Colorado Star Travis Hunter Reflects on Decision to Flip From Florida State

"I don't know where I would've been if I went to Florida State."

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) warms up before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Take a trip down memory lane to Signing Day of 2021, and you will remember a day when Florida State lost its highest-ranked commitment ever in a head-scratching, last-minute flip by now-Colorado star Travis Hunter to Jackson State. Currently, Hunter is a two-way phenom and Heisman hopeful under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and is presumably headed to the 2025 NFL Draft.

Hunter recently went on The Pivot Podcast to discuss his college career and reflect on his decision to stick with Sanders, who is widely considered one of the best defensive backs to play the game. Sanders, now "Coach Prime." convinced the former 5-star recruit to play for him at an HBCU and make waves throughout the college football world. The two left Jackson State almost as soon as they got there and Hunter has now become a household name.

READ MORE: Starting Linebacker Exiting NCAA Transfer Portal To Return To Florida State

"I'd say Coach Prime, he let me know he wanted me. When we had that conversation on whether I was gonna go or stay with Florida State, he let me know he wanted me," Hunter said. "He's like, 'It's going to be a big impact, but you're a humble kid, and we know you can take on whatever comes your way, but it is your choice to make.'"

Hunter sits at the upper echelon of the Heisman rankings alongside Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, and Miami quarterback Cam Ward. The Buffaloes hold a 9-3 record and are set to face the BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl on December 28.

The 6'1'' 185-pound star reflected on where he would be if he had ended up with the Seminoles and noted how emotional his last game as a collegiate athlete would be.

"I don't know where I would be. I try to figure that out. I try not to think too much about it because we have one more game, and it's going to be our last together. It gets you kinda emotional because it changed my life forever... I don't know where I would've been if I went to Florida State."

Playing both wide receiver and defensive back positions, Hunter is regarded as one of the most talented football players in college football. He has 1,878 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns on offense, paired with 43 tackles, three for a loss, and seven interceptions during his two seasons in Colorado. One of the reasons he said he chose to play for Sanders is that he could be on both sides of the ball and that he would be allowed to do that in Jackson State.

“I don’t think any other school in the world was gonna let me do that. It took him a minute to let me play both sides of the ball. Like he said, I had to dominate on one side of the ball first to earn my stripes to play on the other side," Hunter said. "That’s the conversation we had before I got here. Like, ‘Coach, I’ve got to play both sides. I’m too bored on the sideline. I don’t like sitting on the sideline. I’m eager to go out there and get the ball in my hands and show you what I can do.’"

Regardless of where Hunter ended up, it is no surprise that he would be in the spotlight, given his prodigious athletic talents and work ethic. Wherever he lands at the next level, there is a good amount of certainty you will be hearing his name called on Sundays.

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READ MORE: Florida State Legacy Wide Receiver Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

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