Penn State enters its bye week unbeaten and preparing for a Sept. 27 clash with Oregon, but James Franklin used the break to spotlight a player who never wore blue and white.
The Nittany Lions’ head coach pointed to Travis Hunter, the former Colorado star who became one of the most unique athletes in college football, as an example for his roster.
Franklin’s message was not about Hunter’s two-way dominance. Instead, he stressed that the true lesson lies in Hunter’s preparation and mindset.
“What people take for granted with him though, is Travis was like a 4.0 student,” Franklin said during a recent media availability. “It’s not just the physical ability to do it; you’ve got to be sharp so you can handle it.”
Hunter’s resume backs Franklin’s point. In 2024, he logged more than 1,000 snaps between offense and defense. That workload did not stop him from excelling, as he captured the Heisman Trophy, the Bednarik Award, and the Biletnikoff Award.
His achievements made him only the second player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, going to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“When it’s Travis Hunter, and he’s clearly the best player on the team, and clearly one of the best players in the country, then I think it’s worth it, and it’s obvious to everybody,” Franklin said. “The problem is everybody sees Travis Hunter, and then, they all think that they’re Travis Hunter and they’re not.”
Franklin made clear that very few players are capable of balancing the physical grind and mental requirements at Hunter’s level. For Penn State, he wants his program focused on development and defined roles while preparing for the highly anticipated rematch of the 2024 Big Ten title game against Oregon.
With Drew Allar, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, and Nicholas Singleton leading the way, the Nittany Lions are building around identity and discipline, not exceptions.