A coach-player relationship built over years can extend well beyond the final game together. Travis Hunter and Deion Sanders’s journey from Jackson State to Colorado created a connection that has continued to draw attention, even after Hunter’s move to the NFL.
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Speaking on the Chasing No. 1 show, hosted by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and sports broadcaster Annie Agar, Hunter discussed his continued communication with Sanders.
“He still checks up on me every game. We like since I’ve been able to go to the school with him and been to Jackson State with him since he been recruiting me. Every game day, he texts me and says, ‘Let’s go.’ That’s awesome. Every game day,” Travis Hunter said.
The latest comments by Hunter are enough to quiet all the noise around his lack of involvement with Colorado since his move to the pros. While people close to the two-way star continue to press that everything is the same as usual between him and Deion Sanders, there were still murmurs that the relationship may have changed.
Publicly, though, the Sanders family remained Travis Hunter’s biggest supporters. At various points, Deion Sanders Jr. took to X to defend Hunter’s college record and his ability to play both ways.
Hunter’s association with Deion Sanders began during Coach Prime’s time at Jackson State. The former five-star recruit chose to play under Sanders before following him to Colorado for the 2023 season.
Sanders took charge of the Buffaloes in December 2022. Hunter quickly established himself as a two-way player, handling responsibilities at wide receiver and cornerback. In his first season at Colorado in 2023, he recorded 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. He also registered three interceptions on defense.
His performances improved further in 2024, when he finished the season with 96 receptions, 1,258 yards, and 15 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 36 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 pass breakups.
The campaign also brought Hunter several major individual honors. He won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, becoming Colorado’s second recipient after Rashaan Salaam won it in 1994. Hunter also received the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver.
Hunter’s two-way responsibilities also made his college workload stand out. During the 2024 season, he played 1,483 snaps, with 714 coming on offense and 748 on defense, while also contributing on special teams. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he totaled 2,625 snaps, the most in the FBS during that period.
Hunter’s college career under Sanders ended when he entered the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the second overall pick on April 24, 2025, marking the beginning of his professional journey away from the Colorado program.
However, his transition to the NFL also brought a different playing environment. Hunter appeared in seven games during his 2025 rookie season, recording 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown before a knee injury ended his campaign.
In the same interview, he also talked about all the ‘bust’ talk about his draft selection. Hunter said he wasn’t bothered but was confused, because his performance didn’t define his first year in the NFL. He couldn’t show his talent because of the injury.
In his second year, Hunter is impressing, and to the Jaguars’ delight, he is doing it on both sides of the ball. However, he’s taking a majority of snaps on defense at the moment.