Should Travis Hunter Be Heisman Favorite? (CFB)
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Should Travis Hunter Be Heisman Favorite?

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
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There may not be a more electric athlete in the world of sports.

In the game of football, a sport that has continually evolved since its inception, every once in a while a player emerges who doesn't just adapt to the game, but forces the game to adapt to them. Travis Hunter, the electrifying two-way star at Colorado, fits the script to a T. 

In an era where specialization reigns supreme, Hunter's ability to excel on both sides of the ball as a pass-catcher and aerial stalwart is more than just a novelty; it's a game-changer. While the Heisman Trophy has historically been awarded to the nation's best quarterback on what must be a competitive roster, in the case of Hunter, his multifaceted skill set, herculean athleticism, and must-watch-TV type of playmaking ability should make him the clear frontrunner for college football's most prestigious award through four weeks of action.

On the offensive side of the ball, Hunter is lightning in a bottle that demands double teams. He combines his physical gifts at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds with an innate understanding of route-running, positioning, and creativity after the catch. He can dominate at the position, possessing both the speed to beat defenders over the top and the agility to create separation on short routes. Through four weeks, he ranks in the top five among all Power Four wide receivers in receptions (37), yards (472), and touchdowns (5). He’s simply a nightmare for opposing defensive backs. 

Hunter’s explosiveness off the line of scrimmage is complemented by a nuanced understanding of how to manipulate coverages. Whether facing zone or man principles, Hunter shows a maturity in his route-running that belies his young age. His hands are reliable, and he attacks the ball with an aggressive approach that allows quarterback Shedeur Sanders to throw passes his way with the confidence that Hunter will come down with the football. He understands spacing, leverage, and situational football in a way that few players at his position do, at any level of the game. It allows him to make critical plays in clutch moments (see Week 4 against Baylor), a hallmark of past Heisman winners. On either side of the ball, the Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders look to No. 12 to make plays. 

And even though Hunter's offensive production might be enough to earn Heisman buzz, it's his impact on defense that truly separates him from the rest of the pack. In a modern college football landscape where shutdown corners are at a premium, Hunter stands out not just as a solid perimeter defender, but as a potentially transcendent one. His instincts, ball skills, and fundamentally, his presence, make him one of the most dangerous defensive backs to play the game in some time.

At corner, Hunter is as close to a ‘shutdown’ type of defender as you’ll find in the college game. His athleticism allows him to stay hip-to-hip with even the quickest of wideouts, while his physicality and length at the line of scrimmage disrupt timing routes. He's disciplined, rarely biting on double moves, and his closing speed allows him to recover even if he gives up an initial step. In man, while there may be concerns moving forward toward his overall mass, Hunter can suffocate pass-catchers in space. Through four games this fall, Hunter has allowed catches on 11 of 14 targets for just 75 yards (6.8 YPC) with one interception and a PBU. He’s being thrown at a mere 9.9% of the time in his 142 coverage snaps so far in 2024.

Very few players in recent memory have been able to dominate on both sides of the ball, and almost none have done it at such a high level in a Power Four conference. What makes him even more dangerous is his alignment versatility. He can line up as an outside corner, shadowing a team’s top receiver, or he can move inside to the slot to take on shifty receivers. Hunter can also come off the edge in blitz packages showcasing his ability to disrupt plays in the backfield, only to hop over to the other side of the ball and shoulder the offensive workload. 

We’ve simply never seen it before. 

Ultimately, to win the Heisman Trophy, a player should need more than just stats, just numbers; they need a narrative. Capturing the imagination of the voters and making plays in the biggest of moments should be included in a Heisman resume. Hunter’s two-way dominance, combined with his highlight-reel plays on both sides of the ball, has made him the most talked-about athlete not just in college football, but a headlining figure on a global stage. While the race for the Heisman is often a beauty contest where numbers do in fact hold a massive amount of weight, for Hunter, it's his uniqueness and all-around impact that should have him ahead of his peers through four games. 

Moreover, Hunter is the face of a resurgent Colorado program under Sanders that has gone from one of the worst teams in the nation just a few years ago to a university buzzing with applicants, revenue, and attention toward a football team that once sat among the country’s titans a few decades ago. 

Ultimately, Hunter’s Heisman candidacy signals a potential shift in how we evaluate prominence in college football. In a sport where players are often pigeonholed into specific roles, Hunter is redefining what it means to be a flat-out star. His ability to dominate both sides of the ball harkens back to legends like Charles Woodson—the last primarily defensive player to win the Heisman in 1997—yet Woodson’s offensive success pales in comparison to what Hunter has done since arriving at Colorado. For context, Woodson totaled 21 career receptions in his three years at Michigan. For Hunter, he recorded 17 catches for 242 yards and three scores in his first TWO games this fall. 

In all, should he continue his remarkable two-way performance, there should be no other player more deserving of an award that’s given to college football’s ‘best player.’ With Hunter, we are witnessing an athlete who transcends the traditional boundaries of the game with two-way production that may never be replicated at the college level.



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