It has taken until mid-November, but one of college football’s brightest stars has finally grabbed the reins in the Heisman Trophy race.
Travis Hunter, the two-way star of the Colorado Buffaloes, is now the heavy favorite to win the award, with current odds of -400 per BetMGM. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has the second-best odds at +350, with Miami quarterback Cam Ward next at +1500. Those three have been in the mix all season long with little week-to-week separation. Until now.
Hunter’s Buffs are 8-2 with a clear path to the Big 12 championship. If they win it, they’ll make the College Football Playoff — one season after going 4-8. It’s a remarkable turnaround, one of the best in the sport. And Hunter has helped it happen, alongside quarterback Shedeur Sanders (who would likely be getting more Heisman love himself had he not been a teammate of Hunter’s). In Saturday’s win over Utah, Hunter scored a touchdown and grabbed an interception. It’s the third game this season he’s done both in the same contest.
Hunter has 911 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns on the season; he averages 12.3 yards per catch. He averages 117.6 snaps per game (which includes two games he played through injuries) as a two-way player, which means his preparation throughout the week is split between two position groups and that he’s putting his body through more wear and tear than anyone else in college football. And still, he ranks 14th in FBS in receiving yards, sixth in total receptions, and tied for eighth in touchdowns caught. So, he’s one of the best receivers in the country, and he’s not even a full-time receiver. Plus, those three interceptions and a forced fumble (that won the Baylor game) on defense.
What Hunter is doing — this kind of workload — is unprecedented. And it’s clear that it’s resonating nationally, as evidenced by the betting odds and various straw polls. Hunter struck the pose on Saturday (again), and I’m ready to declare this his award to lose.
As much as I love Jeanty and all he’s done to motor Boise State toward a College Football Playoff berth, it’s time to move Hunter to the top spot in my Heisman power rankings. And I’m not sure he’s going to lose it.
For what it’s worth, it seems like the top four contenders are close to locks for a trip to New York City as Heisman finalists.
