Travis Hunter on Deion Sanders: 'I just want to be better than him'

Travis Hunter is on the verge of claiming the Heisman Trophy — something his head coach Deion Sanders never did.

If he wins, it only adds to Hunter’s outstanding list of accolades and plays into his plan to one day be better than Coach Prime ever was on the field. That’s easier said than done, but Hunter appears to be well on his way.

“I just want to be better than him,” Hunter said during an appearance on SportsCenter on Saturday morning. “Me getting hurt last year, it’s a little setback for my stat sheet and how my career went last year. I wanted to be better than him and do things that he has done but do it better. Saying ‘I can do that,’ and I can go out there and just dominate. That just makes me want to do even more when I’m healthy.

“I was healthy this season, I did all I could show, and hopefully there’s more in store — which there is more in store. I’m gonna keep dominating as much as I can to be better than my coach.”

While Sanders was never able to claim a Heisman Trophy during his four years at Florida State, he more than made his mark on the field. He played 44 career games compared to Hunter’s 28, which will be 29 after Colorado’s bowl game.

Sanders leads the interception battle 14-9 but Hunter has played an entire season less than Sanders did at the end of his career. Where Sanders truly seperated himself from other defensive backs was his abilities in the return game. It also helped that he was a three-sport athlete for the Seminoles.

During his four seasons in Tallahassee, had over 1,400 kick and punt return yards in his FSU career, three of those he returned for touchdowns. Coach Prime also had three pick-six’s in his career.

Hunter went a different route to prove his versatility, opting to play both sides of the football throughout his career. During the 2024 regular season, Hunter totaled 1,356 snaps for Colorado, 434 more than any other player in college football. He’s a 2,000-yard receiver in his career with over 80 tackles to his credit and 24 pass breakups.

It’s clear that both Hunter and Sanders were difference makers on the field in college. Prime Time ultimately became a member of Pro Football Hall of Fame for what he able to accomplish in his NFL career. Hunter will look to do the same, but better, once he’s drafted in April.

“He handed me the crown,” Hunter said of Sanders. “But I still don’t have that gold jacket. I still have more to prove.”