Tag: Travis Hunter

Where each 5-star recruit in the Class of 2022 signed

USA TODAY High School Sports takes a look at the 33 class of 2022 five-star recruits who have signed to play college football.

National Signing Day is history and almost every five-star recruit in the class of 2022 has signed to continue their football career at the next level.

32 of the 34 247Sports Composite five-star recruits in the class of 2022 signed either during the early signing period or on National Signing Day. Five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is still figuring out his future, while five-star defensive lineman Lebbus Overton just reclassified from 2023 to 2022. Overton has a group of finalists consisting of Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas A&M and is expected to make a decision relatively soon.

Here is a look at where each of this year’s five-star recruits — except Conerly Jr. and Overton — are heading to play college football. Some players are set to attend blue blood programs, while others are forging their own path.

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Texas OL signee Malik Agbo to play in 2022 Polynesian Bowl

Texas signee Malik Agbo selected to prestigious Polynesian Bowl.

Another Texas signee will have a chance to partake in an All-American game to face off against the nation’s best before moving up to the next level.

Four-star offensive lineman Malik Agbo, was selected to play in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl. 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman, who is on the selection committee of the game, announced on Wednesday that Agbo was the latest addition to the absolutely loaded lineup of players.

Agbo will join players such as Jackson State commit Travis Hunter, USC commit Domani Jackson, and uncommitted five-star Harold Perkins among many other talented players as a participant.

In an interview with 247Sports, Agbo expressed his excitement for the game and what it means to him.

“It really means a lot,” said Agbo. “This is something I really look forward to, especially seeing guys from years past be part of something special like this.”

“It’s really big for me to be an all-American, especially being from Federal Way, and my high school Todd Beamer, where talent is very little, so I think it’s really cool for me and everyone that I’m close with too.”

The game is held in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will take place on Jan. 22.

Deion Sanders laughs at Travis Hunter NIL rumors: ‘We ain’t got no money!’

Deion Sanders laughed at rumors that Travis Hunter got big NIL money to attend to Jackson State: “How am I gonna coach a guy making more than me?”

When the No. 1 player in the class of 2022 signed with an HBCU on Wednesday, doubters sparked the idea that the player, cornerback Travis Hunter, had been offered a $1.5 million name, image and likeness contract to play for Jackson State.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders was asked about these rumors when he appeared on the Tiger Talk with the 1400 Klub podcast.

“We didn’t pay him! We ain’t got no money!” Sanders said. “I heard a million and a half, and I heard Dave Portnoy over at Barstool. That’s the biggest lie I ever heard. You know what that is? That means we kicked your but, we took what was ours, and now you gotta make up an excuse why.”

Hunter had previously been committed to Floria State, which he had reaffirmed as his choice throughout the recruitment process. However, on Wednesday, he posted a statement about wanting to be part of the history and help create a brighter future for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“I am making this decision so that I can light the way for others to follow, make it a little easier for the next player to recognize that HBCUs may be everything you want and more: an exciting college experience, a vital community, and a life-changing place to play football,” Hunter said in the statement.

But rumors abounded because this goes against the norm. Sanders has a podcast with Barstool. Portnoy, the founder of Barstool and one of the ultimate Twitter trolls who always enjoys the opportunity to rile up his opposition, posted his own cryptic Tweet referencing the rumors.

Jackson State and Sanders have publicly denied the rumors, with Sanders expressing that the whole notion is absurd.

“Ain’t nobody get no a million and a half. I wouldn’t pay my son a million-and-a-half on NIL. How am I gonna coach a guy making more than me?” he said on the podcast.

Hunter said he’s doing it to build the bridge for the growth of HBCUs. According to The Ringer, there hasn’t been a Jackson State player drafted since Jaymar Johnson went in the sixth round in 2008. There have only been two first-rounders taken from any HBCU since 2008.

After posting an 11-1 record this past season, the Tigers will look to take another step into the future.

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Ex-Jets draft pick reacts to Travis Hunter shocker: NFL will find talent at HBCUs

After Travis Hunter shocked the world, ex-Jets DE Hugh Douglas reminded everyone that he went to a small HBCU before becoming a first-round pick.

Traditional college football powerhouses usually dominate the headlines on National Signing Day. The likes of Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and others usually get a handful of their top targets and sign top-five recruiting classes year in and year out.

This year, though, the biggest recruiting win of the 2022 cycle came from the most unexpected source.

Deion Sanders and Jackson State, an HBCU in Mississippi, pulled off one of the most shocking recruiting coups of all-time, flipping No. 1 overall prospect Travis Hunter from Florida State. Hunter is widely considered to be a generational talent and is projected to play cornerback at the next level, although he has been dominant as a wide receiver at Georgia’s Collins Hill High School, the No. 3 team in the nation, per USA TODAY High School Sports.

HBCUs typically don’t land anything more than three-star recruits, let alone a consensus five-star prospect who is the best in his class. They have sent plenty of players to the NFL, though, including former Jets first-round pick and three-time Pro Bowler Hugh Douglas. Douglas played at Central State University, an NAIA HBCU that now plays at the Division II level. Douglas was selected 16th overall by New York in 1995.

The hulking 6-foot-2, 281-pound Douglas won defensive Rookie of the Year with the Jets before being traded to the Eagles in exchange for draft picks in 1998. Douglas flourished in Philadelphia, developing into a two-time All-Pro and earning trips to the Pro Bowl from 2000-2002.

Douglas beamed with pride over Hunter’s commitment to Jackson State on Thursday, taking to Twitter to remind everyone that talent is talent and it can be found at every level of football — no matter where the game is being played.

Douglas makes a good point, as HBCUs have a history of sending players to the NFL. Numerous HBCU products are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Walter Payton, Jerry Rice and Shannon Sharpe.

Hunter has a long way to go before being mentioned along with those names, but he has the tools to develop into a star, future high draft pick, and productive pro. He won’t be playing under the spotlight of national television every weekend, but if Hunter is as good as everyone thinks he is, the NFL will find him.

And Douglas will likely be following his journey every step of the way.

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High School Sports Awards ‘ICEBREAKERS’: Travis Hunter

Meet the top recruit Deion Sanders landed at Jackson State

Travis Hunter created a major stir as the early signing period kicked into gear, with the dual-threat talent flipping from Florida State to FCS program Jackson State, where he’ll be coached by Deion Sanders (and play cornerback).

Ahead of the buzz, USA TODAY High Sports Awards‘ Randy Buffington sat down with the Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill standout in the latest episode of “ICEBREAKERS” — check it out!

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Want to nominate an athlete for the 2022 High School Sports Awards? Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Watch the moment Travis Hunter literally tossed FSU and Georgia aside before committing to Jackson State

Travis Hunter really did that. Wow.

The number one high school player in the nation is going to an historically Black university. That really just happened.

Travis Hunter Jr. just made it official. The dual-threat wideout and corner just officially committed to Deion Sanders’ Jackson State on Wednesday, spurning Florida State University for the HBCU.

The moment he did it was even sweeter. Hunter really played up the situation on national signing day. He shuffled through every single hat on his table before officially making his choice.

Georgia. FSU. Both of them tossed from the table. Then he removed his hoodie to show us his Jackson State shirt. He put on his hat and it was all official.

What. A. Moment. So awesome. College football fans were thrilled about his choice.

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The college football world is stunned as No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter flips from Florida State to Jackson State

Deion Sanders and Jackson State have pulled an epic recruiting feat.

Florida State has been trending down since they beat Auburn in the national championship in the 2013 national championship, but they might have hit a new low.

Travis Hunter, the number one high school football recruit in the country for the class of 2022 has flipped from Florida State to join Jackson State.

A highly touted high school prospects changing schools as national signing day approaches is not strange. What is strange, and profoundly different about NIL rules being introduced into the sport, is what school Hunter flipped to.

Hunter flipped to Jackson State to play for Deion Sanders and the Tigers. Yes, Jackson State. The historically black college based in Jackson, Mississippi has pulled the top recruit in the country.

At his recruitment ceremony, Hunter threw Auburn, Georgia and Florida State hats away before having his mom toss him a Jackson State hat and revealed he was wearing Jackson State attire.

Hunter had clearly come to this decision prior to today, considering he had a graphic ready to go on his Twitter page.

The college football world was stunned:

This is the second big time recruit that Deion Sanders has pulled to Jackson State. Last winter, De’Jahn Warren, the top junior college recruit in the country, flipped from Georgia to Jackson State.

Sanders has something cooking at Jackson State. All eyes will be on their football program next fall.

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Deion Sanders and Jackson State flip top 2022 recruit Travis Hunter

Top 2022 recruit Travis Hunter has flipped his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State.

Top 2022 recruit Travis Hunter is on the move — just not to where the masses expected him to be.

Hunter shockingly flipped his commitment from Florida State to FCS Jackson State on the first day of the early signing period, locking himself in to play for NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Georgia was thought to be the program with the best chance to flip Hunter, who had said multiple times he was all-in with Florida State, but Jackson State came in late to pull off the stunning coup.

Hunter has been viewed by many as a generational talent to play at an elite level on both sides of the ball. The Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill star is set to play cornerback in college.

“Legitimately CB1 and WR1 for the class of 2022,” 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins’ wrote in his scouting report of Hunter. Makes everything he does look easy. Smooth. Explosive. Competitive. At times it seems like he’s almost a human cheat code as he’s always making the highlight reel play at the right time. Video game numbers during prep career (over 3,600 receiving yards, 46 touchdowns catches and 19 interceptions) make him seem even more godly.”

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Travis Hunter spotted at Arkansas vs. Georgia

Five-star Collins Hill CB and Florida State commit Travis Hunter made the trip to watch Georgia dominate Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.

Five-star Collins Hill (Ga.) cornerback and Florida State commit Travis Hunter made the trip to Athens to watch Georgia dominate Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.

Hunter was spotted at the game after Collins Hill improved to 7-0 with a 63-0 win over Peachtree Ridge on Friday night.

Hunter recently reaffirmed his commitment to Florida State, but Georgia and numerous other programs across the nation have continued to recruit the blue-chip prospect.

“Yeah I’m locked in,” Hunter said. I’m not going nowhere bro. Don’t let them boys fool y’all. I’m committed. I’m staying committed.”

Hunter, who is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports, 12 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery entering Collins Hill’s matchup with Peachtree Ridge. He has also worked as a dynamic weapon at wide receiver with catching 43 passes for 679 yards and five touchdowns to his name ahead of Friday night’s action.

Hunter dominated against a previously undefeated East Coweta team two weeks ago, returning an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, catching a 28-yard touchdown pass from Missouri commit Sam Horn and rushing in from three yards out in a 34-0 win. In total, Hunter finished with 134 yards of offense on just 15 touches.

Collins Hill currently ranks seventh in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 national rankings.

Travis Hunter posts another insane stat line for No. 7 Collins Hill

Hunter dominated in Collins Hill’s 34-0 win on Friday night.

Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) is currently in the midst of one the greatest seasons in program history, checking in at No. 7 in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 with a perfect 6-0 record.

A lot of Collins Hill’s success so far this year can be attributed to Travis Hunter, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports. Collins Hill has an elite quarterback in Missouri commit Sam Horn, but Hunter is the straw that stirs the drink for the Georgia power.

Hunter was back at it in Collins Hill’s 34-0 win over an undefeated East Coweta team, posting another insane stat line. The five-star cornerback dominated on both sides of the ball, returning an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, catching a 28-yard touchdown pass from Horn and rushing in from three yards out.

In total, Hunter finished with 134 yards of offense on just 15 touches.

Hunter has 12 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in Collins Hill’s first six games. He’s been even more dynamic on offense, catching 43 passes for 679 yards and five touchdowns.

Hunter recently reaffirmed his commitment to Florida State with the Seminoles struggling to a 0-4 start. When he makes it to Tallahasse, Hunter will be a foundational piece for Florida State head coach Mike Norvell to build around.

“Yeah I’m locked in,” Hunter said. I’m not going nowhere bro. Don’t let them boys fool y’all. I’m committed. I’m staying committed.”

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