The campaign for Travis Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy is alive and well. Another great two-way performance was pulled off by Hunter on Saturday, having success against UCF as both a wide receiver and cornerback. This has become a weekly occurrence at this point, with people calling for the Colorado star to be in the discussion for college football’s most prestigious individual award.
Hunter’s quarterback is certainly on the bandwagon, if not steering it. Shedeur Sanders recently made the case for Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy in December by calling him the best player in the sport. In Sanders’ eyes, not enough people are appreciating what’s being done.
“I feel like Travis deserves it,” Sanders said. “He is the best player in college football. Not one of the best, he is the best player in college football. I think a lot of people take him for granted and what he’s able to do.”
Hunter caught nine passes for 89 yards and a touchdown vs. UCF in Orlando while also recording two tackles, one PBU, and an interception. Either one of those statlines would be a solid day for individual wide receivers or cornerbacks would be impressive. But Hunter does this while playing nearly every snap of every Colorado game.
“He has greatness in him,” Sanders said. “Each and every game, he’s able to showcase it in different ways.”
We have not seen a Heisman Trophy winner be a wide receiver since 2020 when Alabama‘s DeVanta Smith took home the award. You have to go back even further to find the last defensive player — Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson. He got help thanks to his ability on special teams, beating out Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf, and Randy Moss in 1997.
Quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman since the turn of the century. Multiple signal callers will make a case to hear their name called in New York but Sanders ultimately believes Hunter should be the winner.
