Colorado’s Travis Hunter dominated college football with his elite two-way skills and is now a consensus top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Colorado Buffaloes star won the 2024 Heisman Trophy after an impressive season and dedicated the award to his parents, Travis Hunter Sr. and Ferrante Edmonds. Let’s take a closer look at the two parents who raised the two-way star.
Meet Travis Hunter’s Parents, Travis Hunter Sr. and Ferrante Edmonds
Travis Hunter Sr. was a standout in track and football at Boynton Beach High School in Florida. As a 15-year-old freshman, he ran an impressive 10.82 seconds in the 100-meter dash and was part of the school’s record-setting 4×100-meter relay team.
After high school, the elder Hunter played semi-professional football in the Florida Football Alliance and Southern States Football League. He made his SSFL debut in 2007 and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Both Hunter Sr. and Edmonds are Florida natives. Hunter Jr. was born in West Palm Beach, Fla., and later moved to Georgia for high school. He has frequently credited his parents for their role in his success and paid an emotional tribute to his father after winning the Heisman Trophy.
“I want to say something to my father. He’s not here and wasn’t able to make it, but I know you’re watching on TV, ” he said. “Dad, I love you. For all the stuff you went through, man. … Now look at your oldest son. I did it for you, man.
“All the times that you didn’t get to see me, or the times you did come to see my games. From not seeing probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me. That means so much to me. I know you wanted to be here, and you can’t, but trust me, I got you. I’m bringing the trophy home. I love you.”
Hunter Sr. missed the Heisman Trophy ceremony because he was arrested in 2023 on drug and gun charges and sentenced to 90 days in jail. He was given three years of probation upon his release, with the first year set to be spent under home confinement. However, he was determined to be present for Hunter’s next two major life moments: his NFL Draft night and his wedding.
“I want to be there when he gets married and when he gets drafted,” Hunter Sr. said.
Fortunately, Hunter Sr. was granted permission by a court to travel to Green Bay, Wis., for the 2025 NFL Draft, so he will see his son realize his NFL dream.
Travis Hunter's father is getting dressed to watch his son get drafted.
He's currently on three-year probation and received court approval to attend his son's NFL Draft ♥️ pic.twitter.com/qNBXO25WWs
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 24, 2025
The younger Hunter is one of the most well-rounded prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. While he embraces his two-way ability heading into the NFL, his mother may have a slight preference for defense.
According to “Thee Pregame Network,” Edmonds calls him “Mini-Deion,” a nod to the two-way star’s Colorado/Jackson State head coach and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, a two-way legend himself.
Travis Hunter’s NFL Draft Scouting Report
Hunter enters the NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class, and he also profiles as one of the most intriguing players in recent memory since he legitimately qualifies as a top-five pick at two positions. He is truly a one-of-one type of NFL prospect that will spark a lot of debate for not just the media, but decision-makers at the top of the draft as well.
The question, of course, lies in what position Hunter will play at the next level or if it’s a combination of the two. As a prospect, Hunter possesses below-average overall size and length but offers once-in-a-generation type of overall athleticism. He has rare quickness, speed, and burst that allow him to excel and win against most players he lines up against on either side of the ball.
Furthermore, Hunter has rare instincts, ball skills and is hyper-competitive, all of which are evident in the way he plays the game. When playing offense, Hunter is a big-play threat whenever he touches the football. He displays rare ability with the ball in his hands and has outstanding start/stop quickness and lateral agility to make defenders miss in the open field. Additionally, his speed and acceleration allow him to defeat angles and hit big plays.
Hunter is not the most refined route runner and lacks the nuance in his game to set up defenders throughout the route — something that he must develop as he plays more athletic corners in the NFL. With that being said, Hunter can create easy separation at the top of the route as he explodes out of cuts, often leaving his defender stuck in place.
Hunter is a tremendous deep threat with the speed to stretch the field and the ball skills to track the football downfield. He has the rare ability to play the football in the air and is a tremendous ball-winner, even though he has a smaller frame. Hunter has exceptional hands and can catch outside of his frame with ease. His lack of size limits his ability to break tackles as a ball carrier and also makes it difficult for him to sustain blocks down the field; however, the effort is there.
On the defensive side of the football, Hunter projects to be a lockdown cover man who can excel in both zone and man disciplines. In zone coverage, Hunter displays outstanding instincts and awareness. He can read the quarterback’s eyes while dropping back in his zone and has the quickness to put his foot in the ground to make a play on the football. His foot quickness and hip fluidity allow him to be exceptional in mirroring route patterns in man coverage.
He is able to stay in phase against most receivers and is never panicked when working down the field. He is a playmaker at corner and has the ability to play the football and come up with interceptions.
His size is a concern, however, as he lacks the mass and length to be left on an island against NFL-caliber receivers. Hunter struggles when asked to press receivers at the line of scrimmage and can easily get overpowered by bigger wideouts. He lacks the size to win at the catch point at times and will be a liability in run support as he struggles to get off blocks consistently.
To make Hunter’s evaluation a bit more murky, he’s also struggled to stay healthy throughout his collegiate career. His lack of size and the fact that he played more snaps than any player in college football make Hunter an injury risk at the next level, and teams may argue he cannot play both ways on a full-time basis in the NFL.
While many evaluators think Hunter’s ideal fit is as a full-time corner who plays a handful of offensive snaps, some think he has more upside as a full-time receiver. His rare athleticism should translate easily on the offensive side of the football, and he can be an instant game-changing player at receiver. There is no wrong answer here, however, and whichever team drafts him will surely be getting a franchise-altering talent.