No. 17 Colorado’s 37-21 loss to Kansas did not hurt Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy chances.
In fact, Colorado’s generational two-way player was so sublime in a losing effort his odds jumped from -400 to -900 according to FanDuel. Hunter, who plays cornerback and wide receiver, caught eight passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. The next-closest odds belong to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (+600). Hunter celebrated one of his touchdowns by striking the Heisman pose, which he’s done a few times in 2024.
Hunter, the former No. 1 overall recruit, has worked his way into the forefront of the Heisman Trophy conversation while helping lead Colorado to an 8-3 record and a spot near the top of the Big 12 conference standings as the regular season nears its finish (the conference’s current tiebreakers are wildly confusing and it’s uncertain where Colorado’s loss to Kansas leaves the Buffaloes in the picture for the conference championship game. Hunter declared for the 2025 NFL Draft this week.
As a wide receiver, Hunter has 82 catches for over 1,00 yards and 11 touchdowns, which leads the Big 12.
It’s been a long time since college football has seen someone like Hunter. Two-way players aren’t necessarily a rarity, but few play at a comparably high level on a consistent basis with a heavy workload.
This is Hunter’s second straight season with at least five touchdown catches and three interceptions. He’s just the third player since 1978 to achieve that feat, and the first since Georgia’s Champ Bailey in 1998. In Colorado’s Week 12 win against Utah, Hunter had 55 yards receiving, a rushing touchdown and an interception. That made him the first player in either the FBS or NFL with at least one touchdown rushing, 50-plus yards receiving and one interception since Bailey, who accomplished the feat in 2000 with the Washington Redskins.
Colorado finishes its regular season on Friday against Oklahoma State. There’s a lot of tiebreaking the Big 12 has to sort out by then. There is much more clarity in the Heisman picture.
