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Hunter is the second Buff to win the award, thirty years after the late Rashaan Salaam.
It happened. It really happened. Travis Hunter is your 2024 Heisman winner.
The two-way megastar did everything he set out to do. He dominated in his freshman season at Jackson State and helped put the HBCU program on the college football map. He transferred to Boulder and shined in his first year at Colorado, dazzling with his big play ability, contested catches and diving interceptions. He was the best coverage corner in the country and a damn good receiver too.
And then this season happened. The Heisman was his goal, but it felt so far-fetched. Could he stay healthy playing every snap of every game? Could he be good enough on both sides of the ball to steal Heisman glory from the other shining stars? And would the Buffs win enough games for him to even be considered? Yes, yes and yes.
Hunter turned in what was one of the greatest college football seasons of all time. He was dominant on defense, allowing just one touchdown on the year and shutting down his half of the field. Rarely did quarterbacks throw at him, and when they did, he came away with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He even forced a fumble, maybe his most clutch play of the season, to seal the thrilling overtime win over Baylor.
He was even better on the offensive side of the field, catching 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 15 total touchdowns. Sure, the Buffs were stat padding and blatantly gunning for a few Heisman moments. But he was also legitimately amazing. Who even makes these catches? And who makes it all look so easy?
Never in the modern game has there been a two-way player this good on both sides of the field. Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey were better cornerbacks, but they weren’t as involved on offense. Myles Jack and Shaq Thompson were moreso freak athletes who could physically overpower college foes. Owen Marecic is more of a deep-cut than anything else.
It really is too bad Ashton Jeanty had to compete with the man who won the Fred Biletnikoff, Chuck Bednarek, Paul Hornung and Walter Camp awards. He’s a deserving Heisman winner in many years and had maybe the best running back season since Barry Sanders. But Jeanty ran into the guy who’s quite literally incomparable to any other player in the last 70 years of college football.
Hunter is one of one and he’s the best player in college football. He’s the Buffs’ second-ever Heisman, following the late great Rashaan Salaam, and has made his case for the best player in program history.
by Sam Metivier
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