Travis Hunter’s Graduation Status: A Complicated Picture

Recent reports circulating across numerous news outlets declared that University of Colorado football star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter had officially graduated on May 8th. These reports largely stemmed from social media posts originating from the University of Colorado (CU) itself. These posts showed Hunter attending the commencement ceremony and included a caption quoting him as saying he “GOT THAT DEGREE!” Adding to the perception of Hunter’s graduation, another CU football post featured a video of Hunter stating that he had “graduated in three years.”

However, the reality of Hunter’s graduation status is far more nuanced and intricate than these initial reports suggested. According to an athletics department spokesman, while Hunter did participate in the May 8th graduation ceremony, he is not actually scheduled to receive his degree until December 2025, having formally applied for graduation in the fall of that year.

The seemingly premature participation in the graduation ceremony was a deliberate decision, allowing Hunter to experience the celebratory event before he embarks on his professional football career. He is widely projected to be the No. 2 overall draft pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The university acknowledged that Hunter wanted to partake in the festivities before his football career fully takes off.

“Travis walked in (the May 8) commencement ceremony and will graduate with a degree in anthropology in December 2025,” clarified Steve Hurlbert, the athletics department spokesman. He further elaborated, stating, “He’s likely to be a little busy that time of year and he really wanted to experience all the pomp and circumstance.”

Hurlbert also highlighted Hunter’s impressive academic performance, noting that he currently maintains a 3.9 grade-point average.

The practice of allowing students to participate in graduation ceremonies before completing all degree requirements is not uncommon. Many universities permit this for various reasons, such as enabling students to celebrate with their friends and classmates, even if they have a few remaining courses to finish.

Nevertheless, there is a fundamental distinction between attending a commencement ceremony and officially graduating. Graduation requires students to fulfill all the specific requirements for their chosen degree program. At CU, students are required to formally apply for graduation during the semester in which they anticipate successfully completing all the necessary requirements for their degrees and majors, as stated on the university’s website.

In Hunter’s situation, Hurlbert confirmed that he had applied to graduate in the fall of 2025, which culminates in December. The specific remaining requirements Hunter needs to fulfill to earn his degree remain undisclosed. Hurlbert declined to provide this information, citing privacy laws that protect academic records. Attempts to reach Hunter through his agent for clarification were unsuccessful.

The fact that Hunter was not listed among the thousands of degree candidates in the CU commencement program for May 8th further supports the assertion that he had not yet officially graduated, despite his participation in the ceremony.

Hurlbert emphasized that it’s not unusual for student-athletes to participate in the spring commencement ceremony even if they graduated in the preceding winter or plan to graduate in the following August or December. "CU had 67 student-athletes graduate last week and 103 student-athletes walked in the ceremony, so it’s not unusual at all for student-athletes who have graduated last winter or will graduate in August or next December to participate in spring commencement because it’s such a great experience,” he explained.

The initial misreporting of Hunter’s graduation status appears to have originated from the university’s own social media accounts. The posts declaring that Hunter had "GOT THAT DEGREE!" and featuring him in graduation attire with friends, along with the statement that he had "graduated in three years," contributed to the widespread misunderstanding.

Hurlbert attributed the inaccurate social media posts to a lack of awareness on the part of a social media staffer. “It was just a social media staffer who didn’t know that (Hunter) was just walking” in the ceremony, he stated.

While Hunter’s statement that he "graduated in three years" may seem misleading, it’s possible that he has nearly completed his degree requirements and only has a small number of courses left to finish.

Hunter’s academic journey began at Jackson State University, where he enrolled in January 2022 after graduating from high school, according to The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. He then transferred to Colorado in January 2023, following head coach Deion Sanders’ move to the university.

Initially listed as a psychology major at CU, Hunter later switched his major to anthropology, the study of humanity. He expressed his enthusiasm for his chosen field in an email interview with USA TODAY Sports last year.

“I’m an anthropology major, and I really enjoy learning about different cultures and how they interact with one another,” Hunter said. “Being able to learn about these cultures and skills is incredibly beneficial to me even when playing football. I have the opportunity to learn the importance of accepting and interacting with other people and playing with other people despite their cultural or ethnic makeup.”

Among the 67 student-athletes who officially graduated in May, Deion Sanders’ son, Shilo Sanders, earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership after previously earning an undergraduate degree at Jackson State. Shilo is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

Sanders’ younger son, Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado quarterback, mentioned on his YouTube show in January that he hoped to graduate at the end of the past semester in May. He was selected in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft in April. The university has confirmed that Shedeur is on track to graduate later this year but has not yet formally applied for graduation.

In conclusion, while Travis Hunter did participate in the University of Colorado’s commencement ceremony on May 8th, he has not yet officially graduated. He is scheduled to receive his degree in anthropology in December 2025, after completing his remaining degree requirements. The initial reports of his graduation were based on misleading social media posts and a misunderstanding of the distinction between attending a graduation ceremony and officially graduating.