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Colorado Buffaloes Football Star Agrees to NIL Deal With United Airlines

A Colorado Buffaloes star continues to cash in off the field with NIL deals.

Kenneth Teape

Apr 27, 2024; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) warms up before a spring game event at Folsom Field.
Apr 27, 2024; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) warms up before a spring game event at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Buffaloes were dominated by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their Week 2 matchup, losing 28-10. It was a tough afternoon for pretty much all the Buffaloes except Travis Hunter.

The two-way star made an impact on both sides of the ball once again. A wide receiver on offense, he caught 10 passes for 110 yards as Shedeur Sanders’s clear-cut No. 1 option in the passing game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter had three tackles with one tackle for loss and one pass defended.

A legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate because of his impact on offense and defense, Hunter is one of the most recognizable players in college football. That has led to an impressive NIL portfolio being put together.

The Buffaloes star is No. 4 in all of college sports with an NIL valuation of $2.7 million. The only non-college football athlete ahead of him is LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who has a valuation of $3.9 million.

His teammate, Sanders, is No. 1 with a valuation of $4.7 million and quarterback Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns is No. 2 with $3.1 million.

The valuation for the two-way star is only going to go up as he has agreed to a partnership with United Airlines. Details of the endorsement deal haven’t been revealed, but he will be featured in ads and posts on social media while promoting from his personal account as well.

A promotional video was shared on Instagram on Thursday and already has more than 118,000 likes.

This isn’t the first time United is venturing into the NIL space, as they previously worked with USC star quarterback Caleb Williams.

It felt like a matter of time until Hunter received a deal with an airline. Last season, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders made comments about a hot tub being needed on the plane for his star player and United responded with a photo of one on their plane.

“I don’t know how many snaps (Travis Hunter) played, but we’ll put a hot tub on the plane for him to make sure he’s straight,” the Buffaloes head coach said after the 2023 season-opening win over TCU.

With a massive social media following, Hunter is someone that companies are lucky to work with. Along with Instagram, X and TikTok, he also has a growing presence on YouTube.

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Kenneth Teape

KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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