Two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado gained the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night time, punctuating a tireless efficiency all season by a dynamic participant with a singular mixture of abilities.
The huge receiver and lockdown cornerback dominated on each side of the ball for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, becoming a member of late operating again Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the one gamers in class historical past to take house faculty soccer’s most prestigious particular person award.
Hunter obtained 552 first-place votes and a couple of,231 factors in a cushty victory. Boise State operating again Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and a couple of,017 factors.
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 prime two was 2015, when operating backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey ran 1-2 in voting.
Hunter additionally gained The Related Press participant of the yr award this week. He helped spark a formidable turnaround at Colorado, from 4-8 in 2023 when he missed 3 1/2 video games due to accidents to 9-3 this yr in Sanders’ second season. The Twentieth-ranked Buffaloes bought their first bowl bid in 4 years and can face No. 17 BYU (10-2) within the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Hunter has pledged to play, reasonably than skip the sport to organize for the NFL draft and forestall any attainable harm as many prime prospects do. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to cross up his senior season in Boulder and is anticipated to be a top-five decide by the professionals — maybe even No. 1 general.
Showcasing his blazing velocity and explosive playmaking, Hunter hardly ever got here off the sphere this yr — making him an every-down throwback to generations passed by and the primary full-time, true two-way star in many years.
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 essential fumble that secured an extra time victory in opposition to Baylor.
With the Buffaloes profitable video games and difficult for a Large 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures final summer season to a heavy betting favourite this week.
All of the whereas, hanging the Heisman pose with teammates to have fun large performs because it grew to become increasingly more clear Hunter was the person to beat.
He performed 688 defensive snaps and 672 extra on offense — the one Energy 4 convention participant with 30-plus snaps on each side of the ball, in keeping with Colorado analysis.
It will appear a very exhausting workload for any participant nowadays, each mentally and bodily, however not Hunter.
“I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” he mentioned Friday. “It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you’ll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.”
Rated the nation’s prime recruit within the 2022 class, Hunter stunned many 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.
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 attributable to 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.
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 best way, Neon Deion went on to a Corridor of Fame profession as an NFL cornerback however largely simply dabbled on offense moreover a 36-catch season with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing fairly like Hunter, who now has a Heisman leg up on Coach Prime without end.
