Palm Beach County’s finest had his father next to him when it mattered most. Travis Hunter Jr., the two-way dynamo who lit up CFB and claimed the Heisman Trophy, was flanked by family as he became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars stunned the draft room in Green Bay with a surprise trade to land the Colorado superstar. But the real story Thursday night wasn’t just the pick—it was the presence. Travis Hunter Sr., who had missed his son’s Heisman moment due to legal restrictions, stood beside him backstage. The image was emotional, layered, and nearly didn’t happen until a Florida judge cleared Hunter Sr. to travel just days before the event.

On The Pivot podcast, Ryan Clark didn’t mince words about how much that moment meant—not just to Travis Hunter, but to anyone watching who understood the magnitude. Speaking with Fred Taylor, Clark noted that despite the surrounding criticism and intense focus on Travis, the night was ultimately defined by joy. “For him to get an opportunity to put hands on his son and hug his son as he got what he earned, he got what he deserved—to be the second overall pick.” It was a powerful image of a father and son reuniting for a milestone neither will forget. Clark, a former NFL player and analyst with emotional intelligence and hard-earned perspective, saw the beauty in that moment.

Clark went further, pushing back on the public narrative and whisper campaigns that surrounded Hunter Sr.’s absence from the Heisman ceremony. “He didn’t get an opportunity to go to the Heisman presentation and Travis Hunter spoke about that. Travis Hunter said, you know, but pops, you’re with me. And I know it was a lot of speculation of why isn’t he there? What is their relationship like?” But none of that mattered now. The reunion was real. The moment felt like a collective emotional sigh of relief for the Hunter family after a challenging year.

Ryan Clark summed it up best: “And another thing that I love, man, is that kid’s exuberance for that moment, right? His excitement to be the number two overall pick. I think there’s so much criticism and critique that you could receive throughout this process… the scrutiny he was under even in his personal life while at Colorado, man, to have that much joy about something that you work for… that’s going to change your life, going to change your family’s life.”

Travis didn’t hide his emotions afterward either. In the post-draft press conference, he got reflective—something rare for a 21-year-old who just had his dreams turn into headlines. “It meant a lot for my dad to be here tonight,” he said. “He wasn’t at the Heisman [ceremony], but he got to see his first son walk and then the younger sibling and his family happy.” The quote held depth. It spoke to time missed, moments lost, but also redemption. Hunter Sr., convicted on gun and drug charges last year and currently serving probation, couldn’t be there in New York in December. But in Green Bay, he suited up with a purpose. Hours before the draft, he posted a video on Instagram from his hotel room, buttoning his shirt and getting ready to witness his son take the NFL stage.

Good to see the Hunter family was whole again—even if just for that night. Alongside Travis Jr. stood his mother, Ferrante Edmonds Harris, his younger brother, Trayvis; and his fiancée, Leanna Lenee. After a year that saw Travis not only dominate on the field but battle waves of unwanted online attention off it, the draft stage offered something rare: clarity. He got what he worked for, and maybe more importantly, he got to share it with every person that mattered.

Still, Travis knows there’s more ahead. Being the second overall pick means the microscope only gets sharper from here. Now he has to use his generational talent and back up Liam Coen and young GM James Gladstone’s faith in him. Jaguars gave him his dream to continue in the WR/CB role, so he better pay them back with what Duval needs the most right now: Ws.

Jaguars ready to let Travis Hunter be Travis Hunter

Jacksonville didn’t just draft Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall—they handed him the keys to a whole new brand of football. And make no mistake, the plan is clear: Hunter’s going to be a true two-way weapon, impacting both sides of the ball from day one.

Jaguars GM Gladstone didn’t hold back on the kind of person and player Hunter is. “Travis, in fact, as a player is rare. As a person, he’s also rare,” Gladstone said. “When we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem, who by being nothing more than who they are, elevate the space… that’s the epitome of what Travis is.”

Head coach Coen echoed the love and laid out exactly what makes Hunter so dynamic. “First and foremost, the competitor,” Coen said. “Just the player in general, the snaps that he takes, the preparation, the accountability, the way that he’s in the building at 5 a.m. training his body. … On both sides of the ball, he impacts the gams. He has a great feel for the game itself. When he’s on the offensive side of the ball, finding zones in the defense. He’s got really good ball skills. He can do something with it after the catch.”

“Then on the defensive side of the ball, he finds it, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do here is continue to find people that can help us get our hands on the ball on the defensive side and go impact the game in that way.” On offense, Coen praised Hunter’s ability to “find zones” and “do something with it after the catch.” On defense? He’s a ball magnet. The plan? Start him on offense, then unleash the two-way chaos.