The last name Rison carries weight in football. Unless you have lived under a rock, if you’re a football fan you know who Andre Rison is, and you know that he made a name for himself catching passes in the NFL. Now, his son is looking to build his legacy for the Rison name. His path to do so hasn’t been easy, yet he continues to be determined to cut his path.
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Hunter Rison, Born to Play Wide Receiver
Growing up with a former NFL wide receiver as a father, Hunter was bound to catch passes when he strapped up the pads. Born to play the position, and taught from birth, Rison is the type of polished player who will give you a consistent and reliable target on offense. A 3rd down chain mover, during his freshman season at Michigan State University, 11 of his 19 catches resulted in 1st downs. This included 7 of his last 10 receptions. He had begun to build a rapport with his quarterback Brian Lewerke a current UFL quarterback. He would finish the year playing in 12 games collecting 22 touches for 234 yards as a true freshman.
In 2018 Rison transferred out of Michigan heading to Kansas State University. Unfortunately, this ended up being a less-than-ideal situation and Rison would move on before seeing the field for the team. This led him to Fullerton where he had his best season yet. If there’s one big takeaway from Rison, it’s that he has a knack for building chemistry with quarterbacks and setting himself up to be the guy they look to in the biggest moments.
During his lone season at Fullerton, he caught 36 passes for 604 yards and 7 touchdowns, adding 1 carry for 4 yards. He also saw his first returns logging 3 kick returns for 57 yards, and 3 punt returns for 35 yards. This isn’t a part of his game that was utilized in the pros. More on that in a minute. His performance with Fullerton helped him find a new home at the D2 level in 2021 after Covid derailed the 2020 season.
This time he attended Grand Valley State University where he put up very similar numbers to what he accomplished at the JUCO level. He collected another 38 receptions for 516 yards and 6 touchdowns, along the way topping 100 yards twice. He also logged two multi-touchdown games. There was only one game all season long that Rison didn’t manage at least one offensive play of 14 or more yards. Again he saw 3 kick returns for 90 yards. He would declare for the NFL draft after his 2021 season.
Beginning of his Professional Career
While he went undrafted his hometown Detroit Lions invited him to their rookie minicamp in 2022.
After a brief stint with the Lions, he left without a contract and looked to his next option, the USFL. The Pittsburgh Maulers came calling signing him to a wide receiver room that had quite a few promising young players. Unfortunately due to this rather deep group, Rison didn’t get the playing time he had hoped and ultimately was released before 2024 rolled around.
He would, unfortunately, spend 2024 away from the game but used this time to continue training and attend events such as the UFL Showcases to get himself back on the radar for outdoor teams. He also kept an open mind to other opportunities but timing did not work out with the IFL, ELF, or LFA. Rison is back on the hunt for the 2025 season and trying to find a team he can call home long-term. This son of an NFL legend just needs an opportunity. The CFL would appear to be a good fit for Rison, who could benefit from being in high motion before the snap.
Previous Pro-Day Numbers
Hunter has never been the fastest wideout since entering college, but he managed to produce despite this fact due to his strong hands, crisp routes, and high football IQ. All the things you would expect from a player who has been training for this since he was born.
The 5’10 190 190-pound receiver made the ANC Hot List after his performance in early June. It’s clear Rison has been hard at work perfecting his craft as he ran over .2 faster at ANC and the UFL Showcase than he did at his pro day, my money is on him further improving this number as he prepares for the 2025 season.
Personal Bests from ANC or Pro-Day:
40 yard dash: 4.59
3-cone drill: 7.15
Broad Jump: 9 feet 3 inches
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