Why Sanders and Hunter have JSU on scouts’ radar
Travis Hunter became a college football trailblazer before ever taking a snap at Jackson State.
The nation's No. 1 prospect became the highest-rated player to ever choose an FCS school. He's also the only fivestar recruit in Jackson State and HBCU history since the beginning of the recruiting rankings era in the early 2000s.
Hunter is projected as a future firstround NFL Draft pick, according to 247Sports, which compares him to Charles Woodson, 10-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Hunter's decision to choose an HBCU is unprecedented, especially considering that no HBCU players were selected in last year's NFL Draft.
Pair that with the attention that Jackson
State coach Deion Sanders brings, and it could end up changing recruiting as we know it.
Together, Sanders and Hunter have created a storyline at JSU that demands attention from scouts, said 247Sports national analyst Cooper Petagna.
“This storyline is on their radar,” Petagna said. “A lot of these NFL scouts follow college football and recruiting closely and a storyline like Travis Hunter, the No. 1 player in the country, attending an HBCU is something that has never happened in the history of the sport. So it's something that's going to be on a lot of people's minds and something that they certainly won't miss when evaluating Travis Hunter.”
Choosing an FCS school like Jackson State won't change the way scouts evaluate players, said Reese's Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
“I don't think it changes how teams will scout the schools. I think there's a misconception out there that these schools are underscouted,” Nagy said. “I don't agree with that. I've personally been to about every HBCU school in the country. You might only be there to see a prospect or two so you don't have to go back multiple times, but that's no different from any small school that has a prospect or two.”
But, one criteria that scouts use is competition level. And with Jackson State scheduled to play at least nine games against SWAC opponents this year, there can be concerns about who top prospects like Hunter and four-star receiver Kevin Coleman will face each week. Platforms like the Senior Bowl, where players from all levels of the sport compete, and the HBCU Combine which was designed to bring more exposure to HBCU players, can help clear up some of those concerns, Nagy said.
“There's always level of comp concerns,” Nagy said. “Not to sound self serving and all but that's why the allstar games are such great platforms for guys that are non Power-5. Even the Group of 5 guys. Any time you're getting down to Group of 5 or FCS or Division II or Division III, mostly those guys aren't' going against future NFL players so you've got to do your best to evaluate.”
What makes Hunter's situation unique is that he's coming in with major rankings and accolades. If he's able to dominate at the college level and maintain his status as one of the most coveted prospects in his class while attending an HBCU, it could be a game changer for JSU and others.
“I think we've seen the impact already in a short amount of time, and you're certainly talking about a firstround caliber talent in Travis Hunter,” Petagna said. “If he can, three or four years from now put himself in a position to be drafted on Day One, it's hard to imagine a bigger impact.”