When Collins Hill senior Travis Hunter plays football, all eyes are on him.
He dominates with elegance at receiver and defensive back, and there’s a reason he makes it looks so easy.
“I’m a finesser,” said Hunter, a consensus 5-star who committed to Florida State. “I do all the right things that I need to do, and I see a lot of things. And I like to study a lot, so I study the game more than normal.”
Hunter is one of the state’s leading receivers, with 673 yards and five touchdowns on 43 catches. His quarterback is 4-star recruit Sam Horn, a senior who committed to Missouri. Hunter’s only pass attempt was for a 28-yard touchdown. On defense, he has a team-leading two interceptions, three pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
The Eagles (6-0) are the No. 1 team in Class 7A and early favorites to win the program’s first state championship after a runner-up finish last season. They open Region 8 play Friday, hosting unranked Peachtree Ridge (3-2).
“I study all positions because you never know what this person might do on what play,” Hunter said, adding that Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Chargers safety Derwin James and Packers receiver Davante Adams are the NFL players he studies most.
Although he knew he was a good player the first time he stepped on the field, Hunter admits, “I wasn’t just good out of the blue. I had a lot to learn.”
Hunter comes from a football family — his father, brothers, cousins and uncles all played. It was through his family — with enough players to field an 11-on-11 scrimmage — that he fell in love with the sport and learned the game, which he began playing at age 4.
Hunter said he will be the second person in his family to play football collegiately.
Eagles coach Lenny Gregory expects continued success for Hunter as a two-way player in college. Gregory compares Hunter with former Michigan standout Charles Woodson, who won the 1997 Heisman Trophy playing offense and defense — primarily on defense — on the way to an 18-year Hall of Fame NFL career at defensive back.
Hunter’s focus also is on defensive back at Florida State, and he said the Seminoles are on board.
“They’re going to maintain my reps on offense, but I’m most definitely going to be playing defense,” he said.
In the NFL, Woodson sprinkled brief appearances on offense throughout his career, finishing with two receptions for 27 yards, rushing once for minus-3. When asked about becoming the modern NFL’s first two-way player, Hunter said, “I would want to be a two-way player just to show people I still got it.”
Hunter is ranked by 247Sports and Rivals as the No. 1 overall player in the country, and this isn’t the first time Gregory has coached a player holding that distinction. He was Grayson’s defensive line coach when Class of 2013 defensive end Robert Nkemdiche played there.
When asked if Hunter is the best player he has ever coached, Gregory went beyond that.
“He’s the best football player I’ve seen in my life,” he said. “Definitely the best I’ve ever coached.”
Nkemdechi played for Ole Miss and was drafted No. 29 overall by Arizona in the 2016 NFL draft. He’s currently hanging to an NFL career on Seattle’s practice squad after not being on a team in 2020.
Gregory said Hunter has a leg up on Nkemdiche in perhaps the most important department.
“I’d say the real difference in coaching both of them is that Travis is so passionate about playing football,” Gregory said. “It doesn’t matter who or where we’re playing. He lives for Friday night. There’s no distractions, and there’s nothing more important than performing for him. Guys have hobbies and hang out with friends, but Travis doesn’t have those side distractions. He’s always about football, and I’ve never seen a kid like that.”
Hunter has elite stamina. Even as a two-way player, Gregory said he rarely misses an offensive or defensive snap.
“He’s not human,” Gregory said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I’ve never seen him tired. If it was up to him, he’d never come off the field for anything, ever.”
Hunter always has been that way.
“When I was little, I used to run just to run,” he said. “It’s just natural to me. I ran the mile and the 800 (meters) in seventh grade, and that helped me on the football field.”
Gregory said Hunter is “more than prepared” to handle the certain fortune and fame he’ll get at Florida State, including the potential to earn millions from NIL deals, and playing on a Power 5 stage.
Hunter’s plan for the next phase is simple.
“Just maintain being humble like I’ve been doing,” he said. “Keep the people who are in my circle and don’t worry about outsiders.”
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