Travis Hunter joins $850M worth soccer legend with latest promotion deal

Two-way star Travis Hunter and the No. 23-ranked Colorado Buffaloes still have something to play for this season. Although they will not be competing in the College Football Playoff, they will face the No. 17-ranked BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl on December 28th.

The bowl game announcement was just one of the many for Hunter this week. Off the field, he is one of the top NIL-earning athletes across all sports, with a NIL valuation of $5.2 million, according to On3. Over the past week, Hunter announced two new promotional deals. He joined the Adidas roster of athletes and the drinkware brand Stanley.

As part of a promotional shoot for Stanley, released on Friday, Dec. 6, Hunter joined soccer GOAT Lionel Messi, who is worth $850 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In the shoot, Hunter thanked Messi and talked about how Stanley's products have helped him perform at his best on and off the field. He was using the co-branded water bottle in pink, representing Messi's soccer club, Inter Miami CF.

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Stanley 1913 brand officer explains why they signed Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter's 2024 campaign is part of the reason he has received several sponsorship deals. Graham Nearn, chief brand officer of the brand, talked about the partnership in a statement:

"We brought the co-branded Messi x Stanley 1913 collection to life via a campaign that inspires the next generation of athletes. We teamed with standout athletes such as Travis Hunter who embody a ‘GOAT’ mentality and embrace one of Messi’s mantras, ‘start early, stay late’ – allowing our brand to reach new audiences via authentic storytelling.

"This is just the beginning of an exciting journey as we expand our presence in sports and fitness, bringing more innovative products that resonate with athletes and fans alike." [h/t Sports Illustrated]

This promotion saw Hunter collaborating with several Miami-based college athletes and top soccer players around the country, including Lionel Messi. It was a coordinated effort via the NIL agency Postgame to promote the Messi x Stanley Quencher ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler.

Hunter can use this new tool to keep himself hydrated as he prepares for the last game of his college football career in the Alamo Bowl. Afterward, he is expected to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. As one of the top performers in college football this season, Hunter is widely expected to be one of the top draft picks. Many experts even project him as the first overall pick.