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Travis Hunter is at a pivotal crossroads, both professionally and personally after being picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars. So why is he preparing to marry his girlfriend now, before his NFL career takes off?
The Heisman Trophy winner's rise to the professional ranks was cemented when Commissioner Roger Goodell called his name as the second overall pick in the 2025 Draft.
Now the 22-year-old then inked his rookie contract at the EverBank Stadium in Florida, and took to the field for rookie minicamp, officially beginning his career at the top level of his sport.
But beyond the stadium lights and football accolades, Hunter is preparing to enter a new phase of life off the field as he weds his fiancée, Leanna Lenee, in Tennessee, a move that has sparked considerable speculation and debate in the public eye.
So why is he doing that now, instead of when he has his place in the Jaguars' team locked down and established ahead of the 2025/26 NFL season? Is he rushing into marriage?
Why is Travis Hunter marrying Leanna Lenee so soon?
The pair met in 2022 and have been engaged for just over a year, with the intention to marry as soon as the ex-Colorado Buffaloes' ace began his NFL career, which was made clear last year.
And now he is fulfilling that commitment and Jeff Barnes, host of the Smoke Somethin, Drink Somethin podcast believes the motivation to say his vows of matrimony could be with the Jags in mind.
"As long as she provides Travis Hunter what Travis Hunter wants, which is stability," Barnes said on the show. "Once he got that stability with her, he feels he plays his maximum football because she is beside him.
"At the end of the day, don't matter what she does on the side as long as it didn't stop her from giving Travis Hunter what he wanted from her.
"It's not about her, it's about him. He wants stability and predictability for himself, not for everybody around him."
Hunter's focus isn't on Leanna's past or any external controversies surrounding her. Instead, what matters most is the emotional grounding and consistency she provides the rookie.
Despite the millions now tied to his NFL career, Barnes notes that he has chosen not to require a prenuptial agreement in a massive gesture of love and confidence to his partner. He will earn $46.65m from his rookie deal.
Having grown up in a challenging environment marked by frequent relocations and an absent father due to incarceration, Hunter experienced firsthand the disruption that a lack of security brings.
So, it's something he's keen to avoid in his own adult life, as well as for any prospective children that could be on the horizon for the couple; who officially marry on Saturday, May 24.