Travis Hunter Has The Most Amusing NIL Deal Yet

Upon hearing the name Travis Hunter, college football fans typically think of the extraordinarily talented cornerback for the Colorado Buffaloes. Some fans might know him as the highest-ranked player in history to commit to an FCS or HBCU school while others may regard him as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

Typically, individuals don’t think of stuffed animals when they think of Hunter.

However, this didn’t stop the Colorado Buffalo from securing a deal with one of the most popular stuffed animal brands in the country last season. 

How Hunter landed this unique deal

Hunter announced a new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Squishmallows last November. For anyone who is not familiar with this brand, they are essentially a mix of a pillow and a stuffed animal. 

There are over 1,000 varieties of the toy, which have caught the interest of everyone from young girls to teenagers, to apparently, college football players.

Hunter commonly hosts live streams on Twitch when viewers began to notice his collection of Squishmallows in the back of the video.

Squishmallow reached out to the cornerback and Hunter announced his partnership with the popular brand right before the last home game of Colorado’s 2023 season, making him the first individual to sign an NIL deal with the brand.

“I know you’ve seen me and my Squishmallows, now is the chance to get yours. This Saturday at Fan Fest at Folsom Field,” Hunter shared with fans, also stating beginning and end times. 

The brand also shared a teaser on their social media accounts, hinting at their appearance at the game.

“This is where you would go for scenic views and amazing hikes. Can you guess the #SpeakingSquish riddle?” the account wrote.

After the festival, the brand shared several photos of mascots, games, as well as merchandise the students received. 

Hunter’s heightened success

The publicity is great for both parties in the deal. Squishmallows has grown tremendously in popularity in the past few years while Hunter is currently in line to be one of the next college football stars.

Last season he suffered a liver injury, but still contributed thirty-one total tackles on defense and five touchdowns on offense. 

He also racked in quite a few NIL deals with brands like 7-Eleven, Cheez-It, EA Sports, and American Eagle Outfitters, demonstrating his versatility in terms of his marketability.

Colorado coach and former NFL player Deion Sanders seems to only have positive things to say about Hunter, overall.

“The kid is a phenomenal player,” Sanders stated on the CBS Colorado show. “I never worry about whether he’s going to show up to play.”

He even recently mentioned how he believes Hunter will play both offense and defense in the NFL due to his experience in high school playing both sides of the field.

“He’s going to have a package on defense and a package on offense I’m pretty certain, yeah he’s that good,” Sanders said. 

If Coach Prime says he’s “that good,” Hunter must be.

Victoria Jonach is an aspiring writer and media analyst fascinated by what kinds of activities players participate in off the football field. Growing up in New Jersey, she is a New York Giants fan and attends Rutgers University, pursuing a career in Journalism and Media Studies. She writes for FirstRoundMock.com covering anticipated draft picks and their acts of volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and other interests that shape these individuals.