I know most college football programs that were considering Deion Sanders as the head coach for their program are kicking themselves in the butt right now. 'Prime-Time' just made history, flipping the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, Travis Hunter to Jackson State -- away from Sanders' alma mater Florida State.
Hunter, who is the best player in the 2022 recruiting class decided to choose the HBCU over powerhouse programs Florida State and Georgia. During his announcement ceremony, Hunter put on Auburn, FSU and UGA hats before throwing them to the ground and unzipping his jacket to show off his Jackson State University shirt with the word "BELIEVE" on it.
Sanders did give us fair warning before the start of the early signing period that he was about to pull off something historic -- and frankly, he did.
This is the first five-star recruit to commit to an FCS program since multiple ranking systems were available. Sanders recently signed his son Shaduer who was a four-star QB according to 24/7 Sports.
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound cornerback from Collins High School in Suwanee, Georgia had previously been committed to the Seminoles for over a year.
"Florida State has always been a beacon for me," Hunter said in his Twitter post Wednesday. "I grew up down there, that's where my roots are, and I never doubted that I would play for the Seminoles. It's a dream that is hard to let go of, but sometimes we are called to step into a bigger future than the one we imagined for ourselves. For me, that future is at Jackson State University."
Hunter had recently taken a recruiting trip to Georgia, causing some noise around recruiting circles that he would flip to the Bulldogs. Despite that, Hunter shot down those rumors saying that he was a Seminole since October. Hunter eventually headed down to Jackson, MS for a recruiting trip to see the Tigers defeat Alcorn State. He credits his decision to join Sanders and Jackson State on wanting to be a part of the HBCU's rich history in football and so he can pave the way for other athletes to give Historically Black Colleges a shot.
"Historically Black Colleges and Universities have a rich history in football," Hunter said in his post. "I want to be part of that history, and more, I want to be part of that future. 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."
This is a huge win for Sanders, HBCU's and college football in general. I'm sure a major part of Hunter's decision was the fact he would be playing for the best player to ever do it at his position. The biggest question is whether this will be a trend amongst the top black athletes in football to curb traditional D1 powers for FCS-level HBCU schools. One thing is for certain -- today will shift college football recruiting forever.
"This is the biggest signing day moment in the history of college football," said Steve Wiltfong, director of national recruiting for 247Sports, who first reported that Hunter's flip was possible.
Hunter has been reported to have signed a massive NIL with Barstool Sports, a company Sanders works for, to a reported $1.5 million deal.
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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