College football is a hotbed for chaos. There are rivalry confrontations, contentious College Football Playoff seeding discussions and player debates. The final aspect irked the Colorado Buffaloes last week, when two-way NFL prospect Travis Hunter was not named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. The honor goes to the “nation’s top defensive back” each year.
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Hunter is one of the country’s premier defenders; that can’t be disputed. His head coach, Deion Sanders, already told reporters he would be giving Hunter the Thorpe Award he won back in 1988 as consolation. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders doesn’t have that level of hardware to gift his teammate, but did honor him with multiple “2Legendary Awards” on the latest episode of his podcast.
“MVP on the Buffs: Travis [Hunter]… Defensive Player of the Year in college football: Travis Hunter. No doubt… Most electrifying player in college football: Travis Hunter. This is the Travis Hunter Awards. This is a Travis Hunter fest.”
Sanders also said Hunter has the “highest football IQ on the Buffs.” The cornerback/wide receiver hybrid was named a finalist for five of college football’s biggest honors: the Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award, Bednarik Award, Hornung Award, and Walter Camp Award. Despite missing out on the Thorpe Award, his mantle should fill up quickly over the next month.
How does Travis Hunter’s production compare to Thorpe Award nominees?
Hunter’s two-way abilities are the primary reason he’s the favorite for the Heisman Trophy. That fact would seemingly make him a runaway for the Maxwell (best all-around player) and Hornung (most versatile) as well. His defensive stats, though, are on par with the players who bested him for the Thorpe Award:
- Malachi Starks (Georgia) – 65 tackles, three PD, one INT, four TFL
- Caleb Downs (Ohio State) – 62 tackles, three PD, one INT, seven TFL
- Jahdae Barron (Texas) – 42 tackles, eight PD, four INT, two TFL
- Travis Hunter (Colorado) – 32 tackles, 11 PD, four INT, one TFL
PD = Passes Defended; INT = Interceptions; TFL = Tackles For Loss
Hunter and Sanders both plan on playing in Colorado’s bowl game despite their status as likely top picks in the NFL Draft. Highly touted prospects have elected to sit out those exhibition contests in recent years to avoid injury. That possibility, according to Sanders, isn’t one that has crossed either of their minds. They want to carry their Buffs comrades out on the right note.
“We’re playing for a purpose… it’s for those teammates that didn’t have the seasons that they wanted to have, and they’ve still got one more opportunity… we all gotta show up and show out [for them]…”
Colorado is off until they learn their bowl game assignment. Two bowls featuring Group of Five teams have already revealed their participants. Most bowl matchups will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 8.
