Culture drives commerce. The principle has been the core philosophy behind everything Deion Sanders has brought to Colorado. Steadily, Sanders has made the Buffaloes something much more than just a football team. He turned it into a sensation, the benefits of which several Buffs players are now reaping. To leave an impact as massive as Coach Prime and make money off it. That’s what they’re learning, and Travis Hunter has arguably learned it the best!

Why is that, though? Well, he became the first player from Colorado to feature on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25. And not just anywhere – he’s front and center. On the other hand, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t make it, nor did Deion Sanders. However, discussing just how remarkable a feat being featured on the cover of the game is on The Number One College Football Show, host RJ Young said, “The NCAA cover in the past has been one of the most significant moments in college football because this has been a ready-made way to say who the stars are in our sport.”

Everyone is aware of how tough last season was for the Buffs. They finished 12th in the Pac-12 conference. Despite the poor performance, the team’s popularity didn’t wane. CU single-game tickets are selling out even before the regular season has begun. This is proof of Deion Sanders’ marketing acumen. The thing is, his theory revolves around two key principles: a deep love for his players and a commitment to their development, on and off the field. Despite the criticism he and his program receive, they somehow manage to make a big impact. Acknowledging this, RJ Young expressed,

“As much as y’all claim to not like to talk about Colorado and Coach Prime, here he is, once again, running the sport.” With over 40 players leaving the Buffaloes for the transfer portal this offseason, Sanders received criticism for his coaching methods. Over and above that, former players like Cormani McClain and Xavier Smith claimed they felt they were “playing for clicks” at Colorado because of all the media exposure they were getting. However, isn’t that part of why Travis Hunter made the cover of EA Sports College Football 25?

RJ Young continued, highlighting the impact of Deion Sanders and Colorado on college football. “Video game industry: worth about $180 billion in 2022. In the US alone, worth about $46 million. College Football [in] 2019: worth about $20 billion. EA Sports was $34 billion. Even they looked at Colorado Football and said, ‘Nope. We can make money putting a player on a cover in the middle who was on a football team who went 4-8.’” Despite that record, as the game returns after a decade, EA Sports chose to make Travis Hunter the fact of college football.

Per Young, “That is how significant Travis Hunter is to Colorado. And that is how significant Colorado is to college football.” While it’s undeniable that Deion Sanders played a crucial role in nurturing Hunter to become the player and personality he is, this isn’t all on the 56-year-old this time. The player who’s grown up to become a formidable two-way threat in the NCAA – like Sanders once was a triple threat in the league – has already polished his business skills under Coach Prime.

How has Travis Hunter become the CU maverick?

While critics beat up Colorado after the team’s mere four wins in 2023, Travis Hunter was not winning either. RJ Young reminded everyone of a day like that on his podcast – when Stanford defeated Colorado. “The player that we chose [for the cover] got torched by Elic Ayomanor for 294 yards up and down the field,” Young said, transporting CU fans right back to the spooky night of Friday the 13th when the WR pinned his third touchdown against Hunter’s helmet and dragged him into the end-zone.

Ayonamor recorded 13 catches for 294 yards and 3 scores that day, leaving the lost CU players in shambles. Hunter’s comeback after this, though, was phenomenal. While fans will need to wait for the Stanford vs. Colorado clash this season to witness Hunter’s reply to Ayomanor, the two-way has already won a significant accolade: a feature as a central athlete on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25 cover.

The standard edition cover features Hunter, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards. The deluxe edition cover includes dozens of other players from various schools, including Georgia QB Carson Beck and Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, along with Hunter, Edwards, and Ewers. 

With this feature, Travis Hunter may have inadvertently set a target on his back, one that others would want to do their best to destroy. That said, as Young rightfully put it, “That is how significant Travis Hunter is to Colorado.” Now, all that is left for Hunter is to portray himself as the fierce on-field contender that he is.