Colorado Buffaloes Football

Travis Hunter was named the recipient of the 2024 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

Colorado's two-way standout edged out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who finished No. 2 in voting. Hunter received 552 first-place votes, while Jeanty earned 309 first-place votes (h/t Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic).

Full Heisman voting. pic.twitter.com/Oou8D7FgQh

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) December 15, 2024

The difference between Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty votes 😱

It's the smallest margin of victory since 2009❗️ pic.twitter.com/diUXw5fGSh

— ESPN (@espn) December 15, 2024

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel received 24 votes for first place to finish at No. 3, while Miami's Cam Ward rounded out the four finalists with six votes of his own.

Hunter, who starred at cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes throughout his 2024 campaign, became the first two-way player to win the Heisman since Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson in 1997.

Travis Hunter is the first two-way player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997 💯 pic.twitter.com/AGW2R6WxG0

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 15, 2024

The 21-year-old already garnered recognition for his efforts prior to his win on Saturday. He earned hardware including the Biletnikoff Award for the title of the best receiver in college football and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in the country.

TRAVIS HUNTER IS 1 OF 1 👑🐐 pic.twitter.com/pPCEuJxyAD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 15, 2024

Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards as a wideout, while his 14 receiving touchdowns were the second-most in the nation. He played a crucial role on a Buffaloes offense that helped the team finish with a 9-3 record, an impressive mark after Colorado reached nine total wins over the previous three years combined.

TRAVIS HUNTER SCORES THE TD AND HITS THE HEISMAN 💪@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/62fAeYYpid

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024

He also flourished on the boundary by recording 32 tackles, 11 passes defensed, four interceptions and a forced fumble.

While Jeanty ultimately fell short of Heisman honors, he still deserves recognition for his 2024 campaign. The 21-year-old has operated as the driving force behind a Boise State team that is currently preparing for the College Football Playoff, dominating on the ground throughout the year.

Jeanty rushed for an impressive 2,497 yards while averaging 7.3 yards per carry, scoring 30 total touchdowns. He racked up six separate 200-yard rushing games in 2024.

ASHTON JEANTY 75-YARDS TO THE HOUSE 💨

14 carries, 132 yds, 1 TD in the 1st half  😤pic.twitter.com/DX9b85Clwi

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2024

His 309 second-place votes were the most by a Heisman runner-up since former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o narrowly fell to former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in 2012.

Gabriel remained efficient on an Oregon team that owns a perfect 13-0 record heading into the CFP, throwing for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

While Miami faltered down the stretch of the season and missed out on a playoff spot, Ward still exceeded expectations during his first year with the Hurricanes. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns while getting picked off seven times.

All four players presented intriguing cases to win the Heisman, but Hunter ultimately earned the trophy.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter has won the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

The 21-year-old beat Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami quarterback Cam Ward to win the annual award for the best player in college football.

He becomes the first two-way player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997 and is the second Colorado player to win the Heisman, joining former Buffaloes running back Rashaan Salaam, who won the award in 1994.

Travis Hunter's speech after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy 👏 pic.twitter.com/7tPL7tw4Rt

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 15, 2024

TRAVIS HUNTER WINS THE HEISMAN 🏆🔥

STAMPS HIMSELF AS THE BEST PLAYER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL 🙌 pic.twitter.com/P8RmMeTbDM

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 15, 2024

Congratulations to @CUBuffsFootball junior CB/WR Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner! #HeismanTrophy #MoreThanATrophy pic.twitter.com/a8RdGUONVf

— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 15, 2024

Fans took to social media to praise Hunter's victory.

Every finalists was worthy of winning the Heisman Trophy. In the end, the voters saw Travis Hunter Jr. as a UNICORN doing something WE HAVE NEVER SEEN before at WR and DB. Welcome to the Heisman family brother. Can’t wait to welcome you into the Heisman House. @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/0SbE6hnyKI

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter was the #1 recruit in the 2022 class. He spurned the entire FBS to commit to Jackson State. He stayed with his coach, and is the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. https://t.co/3VVfrR0MR2

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter. Bravo. When you play both ways and make an impact the way he did it was a slam dunk. #Heisman

— James Espinosa 🎙️ (@SirEdwardJames) December 15, 2024

https://twitter.com/janorman74/status/1868113414016655650

The fact that Travis Hunter can not only play both ways, but excel at it, in today's modern FBS is insane. Well deserved #HeismanTrophy

— Jon Bloch (@JonBlochSports) December 15, 2024

why am i crying😭 im so happy for Travis man!!

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter is the first two-way player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997 💯 pic.twitter.com/AGW2R6WxG0

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 15, 2024

Had a feeling this would be closer than most of us expected, especially with Ashton Jeanty’s final statement/performance in the Mountain West championship game.

An incredible Heisman race. Very tough ballot to fill out. https://t.co/yXqQwh3pS5

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 15, 2024

Shoutout to everyone who enjoys Travis Hunter AND Ashton Jeanty. I know we’re supposed to hate one but that’s no fun.

— IcyVert (@IcyVert) December 14, 2024

Travis Hunter deserved to win Heisman stop the hate

— mp (@_ohthatsmarcus) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter is officially the first ever Heisman winner to play at an FCS school - Jackson State. pic.twitter.com/95YvR1UtSK

— Esaias Guthrie’s Stylist (@DNjtrenton) December 15, 2024

Congratulations, Travis Hunter 2024 Heisman

— Bee Johnson (@ILJ982) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter just solidified one of the GREATEST single seasons ever in College Football History. How can you hate on greatness ?

— swag (@swaggy_kai) December 15, 2024

Travis hunter 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

— H34Rt13zz (@Garrett8489M) December 15, 2024

We won’t see another Travis Hunter for a while

— Armand Purnell 🫣 (@PhilSama_) December 15, 2024

Travis Hunter is HIM! Colorado is the place to be!! #SkoBuffs

— 🦬David Baker🦬 (@davidbakie8) December 15, 2024

Congrats to Travis Hunter and #Colorado. Very much deserved. Best player in college football.

— Jason Allen (@Jason_Allen_14) December 15, 2024

Hunter narrowly edged out Jeanty, winning 2,231 points to Jeanty's 2,017. The Colorado star's win marks the smallest margin of victory since 2009, per ESPN.

Close one as expected. https://t.co/4M63IjwNKu

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) December 15, 2024

He finished his second season with the Buffaloes with 92 catches for 1,152 yards with 15 total touchdowns while adding 32 total tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions on defense.

His efforts helped the Buffaloes improve to 9-3 on the season and the team qualified for a bowl game for the first time since 2020.

Hunter will soon begin his NFL journey but will first finish his collegiate career with Colorado's Alamo Bowl matchup against BYU on Dec. 28.

Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat Travis Hunter compared himself to a very notable NBA player ahead of the Heisman Trophy announcement.

The 21-year-old wide receiver and cornerback initially chose NBA veteran Kevin Durant but later rethought his answer, settling on the uncanny 23-year-old Anthony Edwards.

"NBA comp? I like (Kevin Durant)," Hunter told reporters. "Oh wait hold on... Anthony Edwards. That's who I'm going with – A.E."

Travis Hunter said if he were in the NBA he’d be Anthony Edwards 👀

Do y’all agree?
pic.twitter.com/ZyWBGbUVYC

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) December 15, 2024

The two powerhouses are electrifying on both ends of the court, providing stellar defense to complement their groundbreaking offensive skills.

Edwards recently told ESPN that he himself would potentially crossover into the NFL in a few years if things work out.

"Football players can't go play basketball. No way. I told my buddies, I said, 'If I win a ring in the next 3-4 years, I'm going to play football,'" Edwards said.

On top of his Edwards comparison, Hunter responded when asked if there is any sport he thinks he could not play, despite being "dynamic on both sides of the court."

"I can play all of them," Hunter responded.

Travis Hunter: ATHLETE pic.twitter.com/hnzDxKpD6J

— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) October 3, 2024

Hunter posted 1,152 yards on 92 receptions with 14 touchdowns on the offensive end and 31 tackles, 11 passes defended, and four interceptions on the defensive side this season for the Buffaloes.

One former Heisman Trophy winner had high praise for two Heisman hopefuls ahead of the ceremony for the coveted award on Saturday.

Tim Tebow, who took home the Heisman Trophy in 2007 while playing for Florida, hyped up Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter on SportsCenter, pointing to his elite ability on both sides of the ball.

Well, it's pretty insane. I mean, yes, we could start out by saying he's played more than 400 snaps more than anybody else, but then Pro Football Focus has him as one of the top five receivers in the nation, and one of the top five DBs in the nation. That's insane. You look at all of the awards he has from the offensive side and the defensive side. It's not like he's just a great receiver, and he also plays defense. No, no, he's elite at both. I think that's what the differentiator is with this young man. Yes, it's the touchdowns, the interceptions, but also he did all of that with all of the eyes of the country on him and his team because of the hype and the praise that they've gotten. And so, he did it on one of the biggest stages with all eyes on him, and he rises to the occasion. He wants that pressure. He wants the eyes on him, and I think that's what even takes him to another level.

He also spoke highly of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, noting his "stupid" yards after contact numbers.

I think about physicality. I think about his mentality. I think about that he wants to deliver punishment every time the ball is put in his hands. He's one of my favorite players because that's the way he shows up. He walked in the room and said to me last night, 'Hey, I told you in August because I went and spoke to their team in August and he said, 'I told you in August, I was going to see you here in New York and here I am.' And I was like, 'Dang, I love this kid even more.' Like he's got such an inner confidence, right? And he delivers that. This is a young man that has more yards after contact than anybody else does in the nation. That's stupid. Like, I think you guys like maybe 123 broken tackles. Like he's averaging almost 10 broken tackles a game. Like his physicality, the way he runs, it looks a little bit different than Derek Henry, but it's kind of with that same demeanor in in mindset that they run with that they're the attacker. They want to deliver the punishment. That's why I love watching this young man. He also looks good in orange and blue.

Hunter and Jeanty were named Heisman Trophy finalists along with Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Hunter has put together the best season of his career, recording 1,152 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on offense while racking up 31 tackles, 11 passes defended, four interceptions and a forced fumble. The junior has played 1,380 snaps this season—670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams.

Jeanty has notched 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 344 carries this year, setting a College Football Playoff-era record for yards after contact with 1,889. He has the fourth-most rushing yards in a college football season and is tied for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns with the chance to add to his numbers in the College Football Playoff.

Travis Hunter seemingly has something big planned for Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony.

When asked on SportsCenter who the biggest celebrity he's heard from amid his Heisman recognition was, the Colorado two-way star teased that a celebrity will make an appearance in New York.

"You'll see tonight," he said (7:25 mark). "He is actually popping up, so you'll see him."

Hunter has become one of college football's biggest stars over the past few seasons and in turn has received praise from some of the biggest names in sports, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

MAN TRAVIS HUNTER IS RIDICULOUS!!!!! WOW

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 30, 2024

It's unclear who Hunter was alluding to, but it will apparently be a big name.

Hunter was named one of four Heisman finalists after a tremendous season on both sides of the ball in what would likely be his final collegiate season. He racked up 1,152 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on offense while recording 31 tackles, 11 passes defended, four interceptions and a forced fumble on defense.

Perhaps his most impressive stat, Hunter played 1,380 snaps in 12 games this year—670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams.

Thanks to Hunter's big year, Colorado finished 9-3 in the regular season, the Buffs' best year since 2016.

Hunter will find out whether his production earned him the coveted Heisman Trophy over Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, Miami's Cam Ward and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

University of Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter made it clear Saturday that he isn't looking ahead to the 2025 NFL draft quite yet.

During an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter, Hunter noted that he is focusing on the here and now, saying:

"I didn't think that far yet. I'm just where my feet are right now and that's here in New York doing the Heisman ceremony. So, I'm here enjoying my time and then next week I'll be ready preparing for the bowl game and then after that I'll be preparing for the draft and how everything goes with that. But I'm just where my feet are right now. I'm not trying to think too far ahead, can't mess up the mental box trying to think too far ahead."

Hunter is favored to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, and he is widely expected to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft as well.

After transferring last season from FCS Jackson State to Colorado along with head coach Deion Sanders and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Hunter took the college football world by storm.

Playing a full allotment of snaps at both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter did something that hadn't been seen in major college football in many years, but he did it with a 4-8 team and dealt with some injuries.

Things were different this season, as Hunter played in all 12 games and the Buffaloes improve significantly to the tune of a 9-3 record.

Hunter was a huge reason for the success, as he caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, and recorded 32 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended.

By virtue of his performance on both sides of the ball. Hunter has cleaned up when it comes to postseason awards, being named AP College Football Player of the Year, and winning the Walter Camp Award as player of the year, Chuck Bednarik Award as defensive player of the year, Fred Biletnikoff Award as wide receiver of the year and Paul Hornung Award as most versatile player of the year.

As a result, Hunter is widely viewed as the best overall player in the 2025 NFL draft class, even though it still isn't known if he will primarily be a wide receiver or cornerback at the next level.

Despite his unique skill set, Hunter is far from guaranteed to go No. 1 overall, especially if a quarterback-needy team ends up with the top pick.

The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are currently tied for the worst record in the NFL at 2-11, and both of them have a massive need at quarterback, making them strong candidates to take Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward.

Should that happen, it is possible Hunter could fall to No. 3 overall to a team like the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars or Carolina Panthers, all of whom already have young, talented quarterbacks.

That won't play out until April, though, an Hunter's comments suggest he is taking things one day at a time.

It starts with likely being named the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner on Friday, followed by Colorado's bowl game against BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

However, once the 2024 college football season comes to an end, Hunter's draft stock will undoubtedly be among the biggest talking points during the lead up to the 2025 NFL draft.

Hours before Travis Hunter finds out if he has won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, the Colorado superstar praised head coach Deion Sanders for the work he has done with him over the course of his college career.

Appearing on the Saturday morning episode of SportsCenter, Hunter explained being coached by Sanders has made him "want to be better" than Coach Prime:

"I just want to be better than him. So, me getting hurt last year was a little setback for my stat sheet and how my career went last year. So, I definitely wanted to be better than him and do things that he hasn't done but do it better. So, just looking ahead and saying, 'I can do that and can go out there and dominate.' That just makes me want to do it even more when I'm healthy. So, when I was healthy this season, I did all I can show and hopefully there's more in store, which is more in store, but I'm going to keep dominating as much as I can to be better than my coach."

Hunter added that Sanders has given him the keys to be as successful as he has been, but it's up to him to reach his full potential.

"He handed me the crown, but I still don't have a gold jacket, so I still have more to do, still have more to prove," said Hunter.

Hunter has spent his entire college career being coached by Sanders. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class when he committed to Jackson State.

The move was a huge surprise at the time, not just because Hunter had been committed to Florida State for more than a year before flipping.

Appearing on The Pivot Podcast this week (h/t Dan Treacy of the Sporting News), Hunter said Sanders' willingness to let him play both sides of the ball is what inspired him to flip from Florida State to Jackson State.

"I'm too bored on the sideline," Hunter joked. "I don't like sitting on the sideline."

When Sanders was hired by Colorado in December 2022, Hunter followed via the transfer portal. He became a sensation at the FBS level right away when he played 144 total snaps in the Buffaloes' 45-42 win over TCU in the 2023 season opener.

Hunter missed three games last season, but still finished with 721 receiving yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions to be named a consensus All-American.

This season has seen Hunter continue to level up. He finished the regular season ranked second in FBS in receiving touchdowns (14), fifth in receptions (92) and sixth in receiving yards (1,152), along with 11 pass breakups and four interceptions in 12 games.

Sanders played on both sides of the ball during his college and pro career, but nowhere near the same amount that Hunter has. He played a total of 1,422 snaps this season, averaging 118 per game.

Hunter, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NFL draft, can become the second Heisman winner from Colorado if he receives the award on Saturday night. Rashaan Salaam won the award in 1994.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter does not believe head coach Deion Sanders will leave the Buffaloes after losing top players, including his sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, to the 2025 NFL Draft.

"I got a lot of insight. He ain't going anywhere," Hunter told reporters ahead of the 2024 Heisman Trophy Ceremony in New York (7:00 mark of the video below.) "He's gonna be right where he's at, right now."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIqmABRNNI

Sanders was hired in December 2022 to help the Buffaloes recover from a 1-11 campaign. Colorado went 9-3 and earned a bowl game appearance in his second year as head coach.

The Buffaloes finished the 2024 season short of the Big 12 title game and a potential playoff berth, but were successful in establishing both Shedeur Sanders and Hunter as potential first-round picks heading into the draft.

Shilo Sanders, who finished out his final season of college eligibility this season, is also expected to enter the draft.

The teams on track to have the best odds at the top pick heading into Week 15 are the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, both of whom could have potential head coaching openings next season with Brian Daboll and Antonio Pierce in tenuous positions.

Pierce's position may be especially uncertain, with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reporting that the addition of Tom Brady to the Raiders ownership group could increase the chances the franchise goes with a new head coach in 2025.

The Raiders are also in need of a franchise quarterback after struggling behind both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell this season. Should the team end up with a top pick, they could decide to use it to select Sanders, who is ranked as the No. 2 quarterback available in the upcoming draft on Bleacher Report's NFL Draft Big Board.

That potential coaching turnover and the possibility that the Raiders could draft Sanders make the team a "potential fit" for Deion, Fowler has previously reported.

Deion, who inked a five-year, $29.5 million contract when he joined the Buffaloes in 2022, has so far been emphatic about his desire to remain in college football. He said as recently as mid-November that he was "happy where I am" in Colorado.

It makes sense that both he and Hunter are currently focused on the Buffaloes, who are preparing to end the 2024 season with the Alamo Bowl against BYU on Dec. 28. After that, rumors surrounding Deion's candidacy for an NFL head coaching position are likely to increase during the build-up to the draft in April despite both his and Hunter's assurances that he plans to return to Boulder.

Travis Hunter believes a Heisman Trophy would be the way to solidify his lasting impact on the collegiate landscape.

The Colorado Buffaloes two-way star is a finalist for the award after a stellar 2024 season. In the press conference for the event on Friday, Hunter reflected on the possibility of winning the award and how it would "set my legacy."

"It just goes to show that I did what I had to do," Hunter said (45-second mark in the video below). "I worked so hard for this moment so securing a Heisman would set my legacy in college football."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIqmABRNNI

Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards with 15 total touchdowns on offense and also added 32 total tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass deflections and a forced fumble on defense. He took home the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player and the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receiver.

These awards and statistics make quite the case to win the Heisman, although Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has a very strong case as well.

Regardless, Hunter enters the weekend as the favorite to win the award and he will eventually cap off his collegiate career in the Alamo Bowl when Colorado takes on BYU.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter says he wants to play in the Alamo Bowl in order to finish his college career "right" before entering the 2025 NFL Draft.

"It's definitely important, because I started this thing with Coach Prime, and Shedeur, and most of the coaches on the coaching staff, so I wanted to finish it off right," Hunter said on Friday (2:15 mark of the video below.)

"I didn't give them a full season my first year, so I'm gonna go ahead and end this thing off right. It's going to be our last game together, so I'm going to go out there and dominate, and show loyalty that I have for them."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGIqmABRNNI

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has previously made it clear he expects his star players including Hunter to participate in the Buffaloes' final game of the season.

"We have a plethora of seniors that are pro-bound, and guess what? Every last one of them are going to play," Sanders said in a press conference last weekend. "We don't tap out. We don't sit out. This is a blessing to play this wonderful game. Our kids are going to play.

"We got a kid that's probably going to pick up— not probably, what am I talking about?— it's a fact that he's going to pick up the Heisman Trophy this week, and he's going to play."

Deion Sanders during the @valeroalamobowl press conference: “We don’t tap out. We don’t sit out. It’s a blessing to play this wonderful game. Our kids are going to play.

“Matter of fact, we’re gonna pick up the Heisman Trophy this week and he’s gonna play.” pic.twitter.com/4rFjeQblUJ

— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) December 8, 2024

For Hunter, who earned a spot among the four Heisman Trophy finalists after playing both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes this season, one additional game represents a bigger workload than most.

Hunter played more than 100 snaps in 10 games this season, and totaled an FBS-high 1,380 snaps in 12 games, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

The two-way player did not express any concern about the additional workload of a 13th game, telling reporters that he is "looking forward" to the bowl.

"I'm just excited to go out there and be able to play football one more time before we hit the offseason," Hunter said.

Hunter, Sanders and the rest of Colorado's departing players are set to play their final game with the Buffaloes when the Alamo Bowl kicks off between Colorado and BYU on Saturday, Dec. 28.