Deion Sanders is building a new culture at Colorado, and star player Travis Hunter is already stepping up as a leader. With a brand new roster full of fresh faces, Coach Prime knew the Buffs needed some serious team bonding before the season kicked off. Thus came the “Buffaloes retreat,” a fun-filled getaway designed to build camaraderie. The team tackled everything from fishing and archery to wacky challenges, all with a healthy dose of competition.

The day began at their camp with fun challenges, and later, Travis Hunter and the team went on a fishing trip. Hunter even led the way to some good catches, along with the team’s safety, Camron Silmon-Craig. Soon, Carmon joined Hunter for another engaging activity – a scavenger hunt with a twist. Here, teams had to find objects around the camp representing important Buffs’ qualities like “toughness, fast, smarts, discipline, and character.” And here again, Hunter & Co. decided to shine. 

They chose a rock when it came to toughness, explaining, “No matter what you do to, beat it up, it stays strong.” They selected a tree branch for discipline, stating, “a tree always does the job. He don’t try to be something it’s not. It just hand business like it don’t get nothing from it.” Now, the most creative moment came with character. Hunter’s group captured a live ant, with Camron explaining, “They never get the award for what they do. They just go every day and just work hard.” 

Their final pick was a flower to symbolize intelligence as it “knows when the season comes up when it’s time for it to bloom.” Thus, Hunter’s team crushed the challenge with their clever analogies, showcasing the two-way star’s leadership skills. 

Should the Buffs quarterback learn from Travis Hunter?

Travis Hunter is a rising star on and off the field this year. With over 700 receiving yards, his talent on the ground became quite evident. But now his leadership skills are shining, too. Whether catching a massive 10-pound fish with teammate Jeremiah Brown or winning fun challenges with safety Carmon, Hunter embraces the spirit of a great team player. This positive attitude likely helped him land the spot on the EA Sports College Football 25 cover, even replacing the Buffaloes’ star quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. Some even point out that Shedeur’s negativity toward his old teammates likely hurt his spot on the cover poster.

In contrast, Hunter’s friendly personality favors him with his fellow Buffs.  These positive experiences will likely boost his reputation with NFL teams later on.  As Hunter and Shedeur head toward the 2025 NFL draft, these small things can make a big difference in their likeability and image. While Hunter is already winning over fans and teammates, Shedeur could use this time to show off some leadership skills and erase past negativity.