‘Heisman loading’- Travis Hunter makes good on preseason promise with NFL Draft history in sights
Travis Hunter has made history. The Colorado two-way phenom has won the Heisman Trophy award. GettyHunter was the heavy favorite going into the night to win the award[/caption] He called his shot back on August 5, 2023, posting on Instagram a photo of himself, with the caption, “HEISMAN LOADING…” Called it, and backed it up. Hunter is the first Colorado player to win the award, since running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. It comes after Hunter delivered a season for the ages, on both sides of the ball, doing things that no one else has ever done. He was an elite wide receiver and elite cornerback for the Buffaloes who finished as the 20th ranked team in the nation with a 9-3 record and place in the Alabama Bowl against BYU. By every measure, he is a two for one generational talent gathering momentum to be the first overall pick in April’s draft – the first time a Buffaloes player would ever have been taken with the first selection. Hunter finished the season with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, he allowed just 22 catches, while snagging four interceptions. He recorded 1,356 snaps on offense and defense in 12 games. That is 434 more than the next FBS player. Hunter has helped put Colorado back into the national spotlightGetty In other words, he did things that no one else was doing. He was the heavy favorite going into the night, proving the betting markets to be correct. The 21-year-old beat out Boise State running back, Ashton Jeanty, who finished second, along with the two quarterbacks, Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. It is the first time no quarterback has been ranked inside the top two since 2015 and only the fourth time in history no QB has picked up the trophy. For Hunter, it is not even first first trophy of awards season. He has already taken home the Walter Camp Award for the nation’s top overall FBS player, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver. He is going to need to get a bigger trophy case. Hunter has helped lead Colorado to their first winning record since 2016, in the end just one game out of the Big 12 championship game. Hunter, along with teammate Shedeur Sanders, helped thrust Colorado into the national spotlight. Now he has taken home the sport’s most prestigious award, and in edging out Jeanty – who finished with 2,017 points to Hunter’s 2,231 – it was the closest margin of victory since 2009. “I never envisioned this would happen for me, but I’m so happy to be sitting right here,” Hunter said in a news conference last month. Hunter is projected to be a top five pick in the draft, citing that he still wants to play both ways at the professional level. While unlikely, it’s hard to doubt what Hunter is capable of. We just don’t know what his best fit will be. What we do know though, is that Hunter was the nation’s best player in the country. talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, join us every week for coverage from around the league including our weekly Run Down show on our dedicated NFL YouTube channel
Travis Hunter has made history.
The Colorado two-way phenom has won the Heisman Trophy award.
He called his shot back on August 5, 2023, posting on Instagram a photo of himself, with the caption, “HEISMAN LOADING…”
Called it, and backed it up.
Hunter is the first Colorado player to win the award, since running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994.
It comes after Hunter delivered a season for the ages, on both sides of the ball, doing things that no one else has ever done.
He was an elite wide receiver and elite cornerback for the Buffaloes who finished as the 20th ranked team in the nation with a 9-3 record and place in the Alabama Bowl against BYU.
By every measure, he is a two for one generational talent gathering momentum to be the first overall pick in April’s draft – the first time a Buffaloes player would ever have been taken with the first selection.
Hunter finished the season with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.
On defense, he allowed just 22 catches, while snagging four interceptions.
He recorded 1,356 snaps on offense and defense in 12 games.
That is 434 more than the next FBS player.
In other words, he did things that no one else was doing.
He was the heavy favorite going into the night, proving the betting markets to be correct.
The 21-year-old beat out Boise State running back, Ashton Jeanty, who finished second, along with the two quarterbacks, Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.
It is the first time no quarterback has been ranked inside the top two since 2015 and only the fourth time in history no QB has picked up the trophy.
For Hunter, it is not even first first trophy of awards season.
He has already taken home the Walter Camp Award for the nation’s top overall FBS player, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver.
He is going to need to get a bigger trophy case.
Hunter has helped lead Colorado to their first winning record since 2016, in the end just one game out of the Big 12 championship game.
Hunter, along with teammate Shedeur Sanders, helped thrust Colorado into the national spotlight.
Now he has taken home the sport’s most prestigious award, and in edging out Jeanty – who finished with 2,017 points to Hunter’s 2,231 – it was the closest margin of victory since 2009.
“I never envisioned this would happen for me, but I’m so happy to be sitting right here,” Hunter said in a news conference last month.
Hunter is projected to be a top five pick in the draft, citing that he still wants to play both ways at the professional level.
While unlikely, it’s hard to doubt what Hunter is capable of. We just don’t know what his best fit will be.
What we do know though, is that Hunter was the nation’s best player in the country.
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, join us every week for coverage from around the league including our weekly Run Down show on our dedicated NFL YouTube channel
