Travis Hunter turned each play into prime time – on either side of the ball – and in the end took dwelling the Heisman Trophy.
Now he’s obtained a leg up on his superstar coach at Colorado.
The 2-way star received faculty soccer’s most prestigious award Saturday evening, punctuating a tireless efficiency all season by a dynamic participant with a novel mixture of expertise.
“By no means thought I’d be on this place,” a tearful Hunter mentioned as he thanked everybody from his fiancée to relations and former and present coaches. “It’s loopy. Perception takes you a great distance.”
Whereas posing for numerous photographs with the long-lasting statue over the previous two days, Hunter made some extent to not put his arms on the Heisman. He mentioned he didn’t wish to contact it except it was his.
As soon as it lastly was, he grabbed the trophy exhausting with two arms and let free a cheerful scream: “Let’s go!”
Subsequent cease, an area spot he reserved to rejoice with teammates.
“I don’t prefer to be out late, however I’m going to be out late tonight,” Hunter mentioned, smiling.
A giant-play extensive receiver and lockdown cornerback, Hunter dominated on offense and protection for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, becoming a member of late working again Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the one Heisman winners in class historical past.
Hunter acquired 552 first-place votes and a pair of,231 factors in a cushty victory. Boise State working again Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and a pair of,017 factors, the closest margin since 2009.
Hunter garnered 80.14% of doable factors, the Eleventh-highest in Heisman Trophy historical past, and joined Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson (1997) as the one full-time defensive gamers to assert the prize. Woodson additionally made massive performs at wideout, however didn’t play practically as a lot on offense as Hunter.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel got here in third and Miami quarterback Cam Ward completed fourth in balloting for the ninetieth Heisman Trophy, introduced yearly since 1935 to the nation’s most excellent participant. This yr’s ceremony was held at Jazz at Lincoln Middle in Manhattan, the place Sanders was in attendance.
It marked solely the fifth time this century a quarterback didn’t win. The final time no signal-caller positioned within the high two was 2015, when working backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey ran 1-2 in voting.
Hunter additionally received the Related Press participant of the yr amongst a string of different particular person awards this week. He helped spark a formidable turnaround at Colorado, from 4-8 in 2023 when he missed three and a half video games due to accidents to 9-3 this yr in Sanders’ second season. The Twentieth-ranked Buffaloes obtained their first bowl bid in 4 years and can face No 17 BYU (10-2) within the Alamo Bowl on 28 December.
Hunter has pledged to play, fairly than skip the sport to arrange for the NFL draft and forestall any doable damage as many high prospects do. The 6ft 1in, 185lb junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to go up his senior season in Boulder and is anticipated to be a top-five decide by the professionals – maybe even No 1 general.
“He needs to be nice at every little thing,” Sanders mentioned. “He needs to have a dedication to excellence in every little thing he does – together with fishing.”
Showcasing his blazing pace and explosive playmaking, Hunter not often got here off the sector this yr – making him an every-down throwback to generations passed by and the primary full-time, true two-way star in a long time.
On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus a dashing rating. On protection, he made 4 interceptions, 32 tackles, broke up 11 passes and compelled a vital fumble that secured an additional time victory towards Baylor.
With the Buffaloes successful video games and difficult for a Massive 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures final summer time to a heavy betting favourite this week.
All of the whereas, putting the Heisman pose with teammates to rejoice massive performs because it turned increasingly clear Hunter was the person to beat.
“I positively can kick, (too). I’ve simply obtained to apply,” he mentioned. “I can’t cease transferring once I’m not on the sector.”
Hunter performed practically 700 snaps every on offense and protection – the one Energy 4 convention participant with 30-plus snaps on either side of the ball, in response to Colorado analysis.
It will appear an excessively exhausting workload for any participant as of late, each mentally and bodily, however not Hunter.
“I feel I laid the bottom for extra folks to return in and go two methods,” he mentioned Friday. “It begins along with your mindset. Should you consider you are able to do it, you then’ll be capable of do it. And in addition, I do a variety of therapy. I sustain with my physique. I get a variety of restoration.”
Rated the nation’s high recruit within the 2022 class, Hunter shocked many observers when he dedicated to play for Sanders at Jackson State, an HBCU that competes within the lower-level FCS, with the promise of enjoying each offense and protection.
“Lots of people instructed me I couldn’t do it,” mentioned Hunter, carrying white sneakers and a lightweight blue go well with – his favourite coloration. “I at all times say I’m going to show them mistaken and I’m going to show myself proper.”
After one season, Hunter adopted Sanders to Colorado and was a consensus All-America choice as an all-purpose participant final yr regardless of sitting out three video games with a lacerated liver brought on by a late hit.
Following his restoration, a wholesome Hunter completed robust in 2023 after which actually took off this season, catching passes from Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, and changing into Colorado’s first Heisman Trophy finalist in 30 years.
The 21-year-old Hunter, who plans to get married in Could, is the sixth switch to take the award over the previous eight years and the primary winner to start his profession within the FCS.
“Look the place I’m at. It paid off,” Hunter mentioned.
“I needed to be completely different,” he added later. “Me being completely different makes me really feel extra comfy than doing the norm.”
Deion Sanders, nicknamed Prime Time throughout his enjoying days – seemingly by himself – was a two-time All-America defensive again at Florida State and completed eighth in 1988 Heisman voting.
An electrifying kick returner, who additionally performed main league baseball by the way in which, Neon Deion went on to a Corridor of Fame profession as an NFL cornerback however principally simply dabbled on offense apart from a 36-catch season with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing fairly like Hunter, who now has Heisman bragging rights on Coach Prime endlessly.
