Travis Hunter made every play special on both offense and defense, and won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player. Now, he has surpassed his famous coach at Colorado in the Heisman race.
Hunter, a two-way star, earned the prestigious award Saturday night after an incredible season full of standout performances. “Never thought I would be in this position,” Hunter said tearfully, as he thanked his fiancée, family, and coaches. “It’s crazy. Belief takes you a long way.”
During the past two days of photos with the Heisman, Hunter made sure not to touch it until it was officially his. When he finally had it, he grabbed it with both hands and shouted, “Let’s go!” He later headed to a local spot he reserved to celebrate with his teammates. “I don’t like to be out late, but I’m going to be out late tonight,” he said with a smile.
As both a star wide receiver and a strong cornerback, Hunter dominated for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, joining running back Rashaan Salaam, who won the Heisman in 1994, as the only Heisman winners in Colorado’s history.
Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points, easily winning the award. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points, the closest margin since 2009.
Hunter received 80.14% of the possible points, the 11th-highest percentage in Heisman history, and became only the second full-time defensive player to win the award, joining Charles Woodson of Michigan in 1997. Woodson played some offense, but not nearly as much as Hunter.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel finished third, and Miami quarterback Cam Ward placed fourth. This year’s Heisman ceremony was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, with Sanders attending.
This marked only the fifth time in this century that a quarterback did not win the Heisman. The last time no quarterback was in the top two was in 2015, when running backs Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey took the top spots.
Hunter also won The Associated Press player of the year and several other awards this week. His performance helped lead Colorado’s impressive turnaround, from a 4-8 record in 2023 when he missed part of the season due to injuries, to a 9-3 record this year under Sanders. The 20th-ranked Buffaloes earned their first bowl game in four years and will play No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Hunter plans to play in the bowl game, even though many top draft prospects skip such games to avoid injury. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to skip his senior season and is expected to be a top-five pick, possibly No. 1 overall.
“He wants to be great at everything,” Sanders said. “He wants to have a commitment to excellence in everything he does — including fishing.”
Hunter’s speed and playmaking ability made him a key player on both offense and defense. He rarely came off the field this year, making him the first true two-way player in decades.
On offense, Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards, 14 touchdowns, and one rushing score. On defense, he had four interceptions, 32 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and forced a crucial fumble in an overtime win against Baylor.
As Colorado pushed for a Big 12 title, Hunter went from a long-shot underdog to a Heisman favorite. He celebrated big plays with his teammates and often struck the Heisman pose, making it clear that he was the man to beat.
“I definitely can kick, (too). I’ve just got to practice,” he joked. “I can’t stop moving when I’m not on the field.”
Hunter played nearly 700 snaps on both offense and defense, making him the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on each side of the ball, according to Colorado research.
Despite the heavy workload, Hunter was up for the challenge. “I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” he said. “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.”
As the top recruit in the 2022 class, Hunter surprised many by committing to play for Sanders at Jackson State, an HBCU in the lower-level FCS, where he promised to play both offense and defense. “A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it,” Hunter said, wearing white shoes and a light blue suit, his favorite color. “I always say I’m going to prove them wrong and I’m going to prove myself right.”
After one season, Hunter followed Sanders to Colorado. Despite missing three games in 2022 due to a lacerated liver, he was named a consensus All-America player. Fully healthy in 2023, he finished strong and took off this season, becoming Colorado’s first Heisman finalist in 30 years.
Hunter, who plans to marry in May, is the sixth transfer to win the Heisman in the past eight years and the first to start his career in the FCS.
“Look where I’m at. It paid off,” Hunter said.
“I wanted to be different,” he added. “Me being different makes me feel more comfortable than doing the norm.”
Deion Sanders, known as Prime Time during his playing days, was a two-time All-America defensive back at Florida State and finished eighth in the 1988 Heisman voting. Sanders, an electrifying kick returner and MLB baseball player, went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, but didn’t play much offense, aside from a 36-catch season with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.
Hunter’s achievements now give him Heisman bragging rights over Coach Prime forever.
