5-Star Football Recruit Travis Hunter Signs with Jackson State
Travis Hunter
Many athletes dream of the day when they get recruited by a big-time university team. Travis Hunter, the number one college football star for class of 2022, was fortunate to get recruited by both Florida State University’s and Jackson State University’s football teams.
In a groundbreaking turn of events, Hunter recently made the decision to switch from signing with Florida State to joining Jackson State, whose football team is coached by former NFL player Deion Sanders.
On Wednesday, December 15th, Sanders made the big announcement that he had successfully recruited Travis Hunter to join Jackson State. Hunter’s decision to switch from a PWI to a HBCU is huge news as HBCUs are have legendary relationship to sports, yet have rarely able to recruit high-level talent from high schools. This news is a major stepping stone for HBCUs to get more top talent to play for their teams, which can bring more awareness to their programs.
In a statement on Twitter, Hunter expressed his desire to be a part of HBCU history.
It’s OFFICIAL #jsu #gotigers 🐅 @jacksonstatefb pic.twitter.com/UTyzMPgVH6
— Travis Hunter (@TravisHunterJr) December 15, 2021
As reported by MSN Sports, Derrick E. White, a professor at the University of Kentucky, made the following statement about the announcement via email:
“It signals that Deion has the personality and cachet with these recruits. But it also fits with broader data that HBCUs’ enrollments have increased. The question remains whether other HBCU football programs can replicate JSU’s success. Regardless, this is a big moment for HBCU football.”
Hunter’s soon-to-be team, the Jackson State Tigers, have been dominating on the field, ending the season with an 11-1 record. The team won the Southern Athletic Conference, which means they will be playing against South Carolina State University, the Mid-Eastern Conference champions in the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 18th.
Many supporters of HBCUs hope that Hunter’s decision to sign with Jackson State will encourage other high school players to follow suit. In addition to awareness, HBCUs can receive more funding for new facilities, scholarships, fellowships, and more if their athletic teams can dominate on the field or court.