NEW YORK (AP) — Travis Hunter turned each play into prime time — on each side of the ball — and in the end took residence the Heisman Trophy.
Now he’s acquired a leg up on his movie star coach at Colorado.
The two-way star received school soccer’s most prestigious award Saturday evening, punctuating a tireless efficiency all season by a dynamic participant with a singular mixture of expertise.
“I by no means thought I’d be on this place,” mentioned a tearful Hunter, who grabbed the trophy arduous with two palms and let unfastened a cheerful roar. “It’s loopy.”
An enormous-play large receiver and lockdown cornerback, Hunter dominated on each side of the ball for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, becoming a member of late operating again Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the one Heisman winners at school historical past.
Hunter acquired 552 first-place votes and a couple of,231 factors in a snug victory. Boise State operating again Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and a couple of,017 factors, the closest margin since 2009.
Hunter garnered 80.14% of doable factors, the Eleventh-highest in Heisman Trophy historical past, and joined Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson (1997) as the one full-time defensive gamers to assert the prize. Woodson additionally made massive performs on offense, however didn’t play practically as a lot as Hunter on that aspect of the ball.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel got here in third and Miami quarterback Cam Ward completed fourth in balloting for the ninetieth Heisman Trophy, introduced yearly since 1935 to the nation’s most excellent participant. This yr’s ceremony was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, the place Sanders was in attendance.
It marked solely the fifth time this century a quarterback didn’t win. The final time no signal-caller positioned within the prime two was 2015, when operating backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey ran 1-2 in voting.
Hunter additionally received The Associated Press participant of the yr award this week. He helped spark a powerful turnaround at Colorado, from 4-8 in 2023 when he missed 3 1/2 video games due to accidents to 9-3 this yr in Sanders’ second season. The Twentieth-ranked Buffaloes acquired their first bowl bid in 4 years and can face No. 17 BYU (10-2) within the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Hunter has pledged to play, fairly than skip the sport to arrange for the NFL draft and forestall any doable harm as many prime prospects do. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to move up his senior season in Boulder and is predicted to be a top-five decide by the professionals — even perhaps No. 1 total.
“He desires to be nice at every part,” Sanders mentioned. “He desires to have a dedication to excellence in every part he does — together with fishing.”
Showcasing his blazing velocity and explosive playmaking, Hunter hardly ever got here off the sector this yr — making him an every-down throwback to generations passed by and the primary full-time, true two-way star in a long time.
On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus a dashing rating. On protection, he made 4 interceptions, 32 tackles, broke up 11 passes and compelled a important fumble that secured an additional time victory in opposition to Baylor.
With the Buffaloes profitable video games and difficult for a Big 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures final summer season to a heavy betting favourite this week.
All the whereas, putting the Heisman pose with teammates to rejoice massive performs because it grew to become an increasing number of clear Hunter was the person to beat.
He performed 688 defensive snaps and 672 extra on offense — the one Power Four convention participant with 30-plus snaps on each side of the ball, in line with Colorado analysis.
It would appear an excessively exhausting workload for any participant as of late, each mentally and bodily, however not Hunter.
“I believe I laid the bottom for extra individuals to come back in and go two methods,” he mentioned Friday. “It begins along with your mindset. If you imagine you are able to do it, then you definately’ll be capable of do it. And additionally, I do quite a lot of remedy. I sustain with my physique. I get quite a lot of restoration.”
Rated the nation’s prime recruit within the 2022 class, Hunter shocked many when he dedicated to play for Sanders at Jackson State, an HBCU that competes within the lower-level FCS, with the promise of taking part in each offense and protection.
After one season, Hunter adopted Sanders to Colorado and was a consensus All-America choice as an all-purpose participant final yr regardless of sitting out three video games with a lacerated liver attributable to a late hit.
Following his restoration, a wholesome Hunter completed robust in 2023 after which actually took off this season, catching passes from Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, and changing into Colorado’s first Heisman Trophy finalist in 30 years.
Hunter, who plans to get married in May, is the primary Heisman winner to play within the FCS.
Deion Sanders, nicknamed Prime Time throughout his taking part in days — seemingly by himself — was a two-time All-America defensive again at Florida State and completed eighth in 1988 Heisman voting.
An electrifying kick returner, who additionally performed main league baseball by the way in which, Neon Deion went on to a Hall of Fame profession as an NFL cornerback however largely simply dabbled on offense in addition to a 36-catch season with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing fairly like Hunter, who now has Heisman bragging rights on Coach Prime perpetually.
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