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Former Colorado star Travis Hunter inks exclusive trading card deal with Panini America

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•04/07/25•

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Former Colorado star Travis Hunter at the We Ain't Hard 2 Find Showcase
© Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

One of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, Travis Hunter dominated on both sides of the football at Colorado. That made him one of the more intriguing players on the board, especially with a potential decision looming on what position he’ll play.

Ahead of Draft Day, though, Hunter agreed to an exclusive trading card partnership. He is joining forces with Panini America, the company announced Monday.

Hunter will receive a Panini Instant Card as part of the agreement and will appear in marketing activations for the company. It’s yet another major deal for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, who’s expected to be one of the first players to hear his name called in Green Bay.

“As I enter into the professional phase of my career, I’m excited that one of the first deals is an exclusive autograph trading card agreement with Panini,” Hunter said in a statement. “As a kid, I collected Panini cards and imagined my face on a card one day. To know that fans will be able to get my Panini Rookie Card all over the world is a dream come true.”

On the field, Hunter shined over his two years at Colorado, but made his biggest mark in 2024 as he won the Heisman. He totaled 1,258 yards and a Big 12-leading 15 touchdowns on offense while adding 36 tackles and four interceptions on defense as a cornerback. He was listed as a defensive back at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, but was also in attendance for the wide receivers’ day.

Hunter recently came in as the No. 1 overall player on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board. ESPN’s Field Yates also projected the two-way star as the No. 4 overall pick in his two-round mock draft released last week.

Travis Hunter set strong foundation for off-field earnings

Away from the gridiron, Travis Hunter thrived in the NIL space. He notably inked partnerships with brands such as Celsius, NerdWallet and United Airlines, and also secured a deal with adidas prior to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Hunter left college football with an On3 NIL Valuation of $5.7 million, which ranked No. 3 in both the college football NIL rankings and the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. Now repped by Young Money APAA Sports – the agency founded by rapper Lil Wayne – he’s preparing for the next step in his football career.

“Travis is a singular talent who has performed incredibly both on and off the field,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations, in a statement. “He has a bright future ahead, and we look forward to supporting him both as he begins his NFL journey and in the years to come.”