VALDOSTA –– At first glance, you would think Jacques Hunter is a receiver for No. 3-ranked Lowndes Vikings with his lanky, slender build.

Instead, Hunter is a three-star strong-side defensive end for the squad.

The 17-year old senior from Valdosta has been in steady rotation on the defensive side since his sophomore year.

Hunter surpassed the century mark, nabbing 100 tackles in his Viking career and will be playing in the SEC at Vanderbilt University next fall on a football scholarship.

He credits his childhood friend, senior running back Israel Mitchell, for kindling his love of football.

“I started playing at age 7,” the Vanderbilt commit said after practice. “But it wasn’t as serious for me until I met I.J. Mitchell. He brought me on board, and I have been loving it since.”

Football is a game of wins and losses to Hunter. He sees the game as cause and effect that could be transferred to real-life scenarios.

“It gives you a concrete path of the ups and downs of your life,” Hunter said. “You know you have to get good grades and lead by example throughout the community and school. Even with family, some will look at you as the ‘Chosen One.’ You don’t want to let them down.”

Hunter’s younger brother, DeAunte, is a junior linebacker for the Vikings and will likely be heading to a Division I school after he graduates in 2022.

Lowndes alumni Kenny Moore is a player who Hunter marvels at because of how he overcame a small-school situation to make it to the NFL and thrive.

“He changed my view of college after seeing him go from VSU to being one of the top-paid cornerbacks in the league,” the senior said. “He showed that you can have bigger options and still make it all the way from a different level that anyone else wouldn’t want to take.”

Moore played football for only a single season before heading to Valdosta State having an All-American career with the Blazers.

In 2017, Moore went undrafted and spent time on the New England Patriots before being cut after training camp.

A day later, Moore was claimed off of waivers by the Indianapolis Colts and is now one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks in the league.

Though Nashville awaits Hunter, the decision to head to Vanderbilt was not easy for the defensive end.

He was offered by the Commodores on March 25 and finally committed on August 13, three weeks ahead of the start of his senior year.

“The decision was tough and was a long process,” Hunter said. “I’m not necessarily picky, but I can see through somebody wanting you because they don’t want another team to get you. I feel like they wanted me to come there to better myself and my family. That was the best place I felt that could help me and I could help them.”

With his unique size at defensive end and his leadership on and off the football field, Vikings head coach Jamey DuBose feels that Vandy is perfect for Hunter and they will get a good player and person in the program.

“He’s a very mature individual,” DuBose said. “Jacques is self-motivated and understands work ethic. He has speed and length. All the things you need. I rate him as a violent player and a striker on the football field. He still has upside, and they are going to put weight on him. He is a good student and is going to a school that will give him a great education and future.”

Hunter wants to get straight to business when he arrives on Vanderbilt’s campus. Not only for football, but for his academics also.

“First and foremost, I want to make sure I get there and immediately get straight to having a concrete place to start with my grades like I did in high school,” he said. “In ninth grade I heard that everybody slacks off in their 12th grade year so I want to come in strong so I can finish how I want to. Athletically, every day is a different day. Best man wins.”

Once his time is done, Hunter has NFL aspirations, but also has his eyes on coaching in case his playing career does not pan out.

All in all, Hunter wants to set an example for his family and those that will come after him if he navigates his way through life correctly.

“When I get older, I was thinking of going to the league but if that doesn’t work out, I want to be a coach,” he said. “I want to give back the knowledge or whatever I can do. The only thing I want to do is set a standard for everybody else to see. A lot of people can say ‘Do this, do that,’ but if you’re not doing the same thing, then they’re not going to take it in if you’re not leading by example.”

As Hunter’s playing career at Lowndes winds down, he wants his teammates and himself to leave everything out on the field to reach the end goal.

“I don’t want anyone to have any regrets. That is my only goal,” he said. In life or in high school football, if they give it their all, I am just going to be the one who keeps them accountable. And I want them to do the same as a brother should.”