Ryan Hunter, born and raised in North Bay, Ontario, made the move to the United States as a teenager where he played his prep ball at Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York. His career at Canisius ended with Hunter being named the best offensive lineman in Western New York and sharing The Buffalo News Player of the Year honor with Qadree Ollison, who went on to star at Pitt before being drafted by the Falcons.
Hunter went on to play his college ball at Bowling Green University where he played in 52 total games over his five-year career.