Updated at 7:11 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2024.

University of Colorado standout two-player Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, cementing his status as the best college football player in the country and one of the best to ever come through Boulder.

Hunter is only the second CU Buff to receive this award, the most prestigious honor in college sports. Future running back Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman 30 years ago, in 1994, after rushing for 2,055 yards. Hunter was joined at the ceremony in New York City by five-time Grammy winner Lil Wayne, CU star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and CU head coach Deion Sanders – also known as Coach Prime.

The CU superstar plays on both offense and defense – and has found both success and the necessary hardware for both roles.

On offense, Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a fumble – a crucial play that secured an overtime victory over Baylor.

In total, Hunter managed those 92 balls, but only allowed 22 as a defender. He scored 14 touchdowns and allowed just one. He accounted for 53 first downs and allowed just six. He was targeted 119 times by star CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but only 39 times by opposing QBs – who often avoided his side of the field.

Hunter’s likely final game in Boulder, a 52-0 win over Oklahoma State, was a three-touchdown, one-interception performance.

In a sport that has long specialized in specific positions and roles, Hunter represents both a throwback to the days of two-way players and a modern spectacle in the sport’s social media-friendly era where there is none Celebrities exist. He rarely leaves the field. No player in a generation has allowed viewers to witness the same athlete pull off a high-IQ save on defense and make a high-flying catch on offense moments later.

Saturday’s victory was less of a surprise and more of a coronation. The endless stream of highlights and excitement surrounding a star many call “Unicorn” made Hunter the favorite for the trophy.

Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points, securing a comfortable victory. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty placed second with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was third and Miami quarterback Cam Ward was fourth

Not since Michigan’s Charles Woodson or Georgia’s Champ Baily in the 1990s has an athlete in college football been able to play successfully on both sides of the football. And Hunter’s numbers (including time on the field) dwarfed their efforts.

AP

His speed and versatility are what fans remember most about his head coach – Sanders was a two-way star in the NFL and a two-sport star in baseball and football. The prospect of significant playing time on both sides of the ball was why Hunter, a Florida native who attended high school in suburban Atlanta, transferred to Jackson State to join Sanders. He then followed Sanders to Boulder.

“Coach Prime was the only coach who would have considered allowing me to do what I do,” said Hunter, who is expected to be a top-five pick in next spring’s NFL draft, perhaps even number 1 overall selection. “He’s done it and knows what it takes – how ready you have to be on both sides of the ball.”

Hunter was named The Associated Press College Football Player of the Year earlier this week and received 26 of 43 votes from a group of AP Top 25 voters on Thursday. Just like Saturday night, Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second in this race.

For the second year in a row, Hunter won the Paul Hornung Award as the game’s most versatile player, the Walter Camp (player of the year), the Maxwell (most outstanding player), the Biletnikoff (best receiver) and the Bednarik (best defensive player). Teammate Shedeur Sanders won the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year award.

Hunter was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. However, he was not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the country’s best defensive back. That drew the ire of Sanders, who won the award with Florida State in 1988 and vowed to hand his trophy to Hunter.

The 20th-ranked Buffaloes received their first bowl bid in four years and will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

Hunter has pledged to play rather than miss the game to prepare for the NFL draft and prevent potential injuries, as many top prospects do. The 6-foot, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to miss his senior season in Boulder

This story will be updated.

David Zalubowski/AP, File

The AP’s Pat Graham contributed to this report.