Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat star Travis Hunter has won the Heisman Trophy, adding the most significant piece of hardware to his collection following a season the likes of which college football has rarely seen.
Hunter hauled in 92 passes and 14 touchdowns as a receiver, both tops in the Big 12 Conference. His 1,152 receiving yards ranked third. He also led the conference in passes defended and intercepted four passes.
He earned 552 first place votes. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, this year’s Maxwell Award winner who flirted with college football’s rushing record while leading the Broncos to a 12-1 record and a College Football Playoff berth, finished second with 309 first place votes.
The next closest finalist – Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel – received 24 first place votes.
The results bucked a recent trend, as eight of the previous 10 Maxwell winners had gone on to win the Heisman in the same year. Jeanty won the fan vote, according to the ESPN broadcast.
Hunter broke down while addressing his father, who couldn't attend Saturday's ceremony, to the broadcast cameras.
Travis Hunter speaking directly to his father, who couldn't make the Heisman ceremony tonight, is the only video you need to see tonight pic.twitter.com/lCa0W9yt5s
— Nick Rothschild (@nick_rothschild) December 15, 2024
Earlier this week, Hunter was named both the AP College Football Player of the Year and the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and won both the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver and the Chuck Bednarik Award as its top defensive player.
Hunter has redefined versatility – and endurance – on the football field as both an elite wide receiver and a lockdown cornerback. According to ESPN, his nearly 1,400 snaps played this season (670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams) are 382 more than the next-highest total in college football.
The standout senior becomes the second Colorado player to earn college football’s highest individual honor. Running back Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman in 1994, when he rushed for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns in a season the Buffs finished No. 3 in the final AP poll.
Hunter brought Deion and Shedeur Sanders on stage with him for his sit-down interview for the TV broadcast ahead of the announcement. When he was announced as the winner, he shared an embrace with his head coach.
WOW - what an embrace between Travis Hunter and Coach Prime after the Heisman announcement
— Nick Rothschild (@nick_rothschild) December 15, 2024
That's love right there ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9IE2r96n46
Hunter figures to be a top-5 selection in next year’s NFL Draft and possibly be in consideration for the top overall selection.
He and the Buffs play BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, with the game airing on Denver7 at 5:30 p.m. MT.
- VIDEO | Denver7 spoke to CU Buffs fans and Boulder community members who were thrilled to see Travis Hunter named a Heisman Trophy finalist
