(Video) Travis Hunter, with a Smile, Remains Unfazed by His Underwhelming Madden Rating

Despite winning the Heisman Trophy, Travis Hunter failed to crack the 80 ratings column in Madden.

(Video) Travis Hunter, with a Smile, Remains Unfazed by His Underwhelming Madden Rating

Travis Hunter Madden rating (Image via IMAGO/X)

Fans eagerly wait for EA to drop the Madden ratings for football players. Travis Hunter was no exception. His expectations were very high after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

Most were scratching their heads when the gaming powerhouse finally dropped the latest ratings, including Hunter. They rated him at 76 overall.

Reporters asked Hunter if the rating disappointed him.

“That’s the ‘Madden’ rating; that’s it. I’m not worried about a ‘Madden’ rating right now. I’m worried about playing football,” Travis Hunter revealed after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ OTAs.

Hunter remained mum, but deep down, he would not be happy with the number. The ex-Colorado unicorn confidently promised former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson that he was easily an 85-rated player before the draft.

“If I ain’t an 85 or above, we’re going to have to one-on-one for the [Heisman] Trophy back there. When I beat him, I get the 99,” Hunter told Johnson in an interview.

Hunter should refrain from brooding too much. Rookies rarely receive 80+ ratings in their first appearance in the game.

He should hold his head high because EA gave him the same rating as Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow when he was a rookie, which is better than two former Heisman winners, Carolina’s Bryce Young (75) and Arizona’s Kyler Murray (72).

Detroit Lions Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson remains the highest-rated Madden rookie of all time. EA rated him 87 overall coming out of Georgia Tech. Notable mentions are former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck with 84 and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett with 83.

Do not expect Travis Hunter to sign his rookie contract anytime soon

It’s mid-June, and most NFL teams have finalized contracts with their drafted and undrafted rookies, with only a few still pending. Hunter is among the latter, and Jaguars fans may need to wait a tad longer to see the 22-year-old officially become part of Duval Country.

(Video) Travis Hunter, with a Smile, Remains Unfazed by His Underwhelming Madden Rating
Travis Hunter (Image via IMAGO)

On the latest installment of NFL Network’s The Insiders, Ian Rapoport said,

“It feels to me like Travis Hunter will probably be the last first-rounder to sign. These things are generally one, not complicated.”

According to Over the Cap and Rapoport, Hunter will earn $46.649 million as the second overall pick, which includes a signing bonus of $30.556 million.

The Jaguars pulled the biggest heist of the 2025 NFL draft. Most mock drafts projected Hunter playing for the Cleveland Browns.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came onto the podium on day one in Green Bay with shocking news. The Browns traded the number two pick to the Jaguars and basically handed them Hunter while they received the fifth overall pick to draft defensive tackle Mason Graham from Michigan.

Hunter lucked out. He avoided playing in snowy Cleveland and returned close to his home in Florida. According to The Florida Times-Union, Hunter bought a $3.275 million mansion in a gated Deerwood Country Club community in Jacksonville and will move in with his newly wedded wife, Leanna Lenne.

The publication revealed that the house previously belonged to LeRoy Butler, a Hall of Fame safety and Super Bowl champion who played 11 seasons for the Green Bay Packers.

Hunter played three years of college football. The former five-star recruit turned down colleges like Florida State and Miami to play for Coach Prime Deion Sanders at Jackson State. He followed Sanders to Colorado during his sophomore year.

In 30 college games, Hunter caught 171 passes for 2167 yards and 24 touchdowns. He further contributed on defense, recording 80 combined tackles and 9 sacks.

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