Making the case for Travis Hunter as 2024 Heisman Trophy contender

Colorado’s Travis Hunter is a unique athlete at the college level, having played both cornerback and wide receiver for more than 100 total snaps in certain games last year for the Buffaloes.

Not only does Hunter play on both sides of the ball, but he’s also quite good in each phase, perhaps a slightly better playmaker at cornerback than he is as a wide receiver, but Hunter was able to dazzle in each role last season. If he can put on a complete season and stay healthy like he couldn’t with last year’s snap load, while Colorado as a whole takes a step up, perhaps he could be in the Heisman discussion.

Andy Staples and Jesse Simonton certainly view a Heisman run as a possibility and outlined what it would take on Monday’s On3 YouTube live-stream.

“Travis Hunter is one of the most interesting players we’ve had in college football in a long, long time, the first true two-way star in years,” Staples said of him, then outlining what benchmarks Hunter would have to hit to make a serious case.

“My thing with Travis Hunter is if he is their WR1 and has 1,200 receiving yards and is their best corner and is really good all season, even if they’re 6-6, he’s got to be on a ballot.”

Simonton jumped in to say that he’s not got Hunter on his immediate Heisman radar, but if he’s able to produce the season Staples just discussed, then of course he’d be a contender.

“I had Hunter not in my top 10, but I did have him as the dark horse candidate for this exact thing that you just laid out,” said Simonton, noting that the Colorado star has the storyline in his favor.

“I also think it helps Travis Hunter that he’s going to have the story that he spurned Florida State and went to an HBCU, then followed Deion to Colorado. He’s the cover athlete for the new EA Sports game that everyone’s excited about. So, if all that momentum kind of materializes into the season you laid out, I think his candidacy would be legitimate.”

The trophy has become mostly a quarterback award, save for those special seasons by non-QBs. For Simonton, it’s hard to see Hunter topping off all the quarterbacks, but if a position player was to make a run, then Hunter’s got as good a shot as any.

“Then, it would kind of be: is it good enough to tip the scales over if a quarterback also has a really dynamic and amazing year, that’d TBD. I think Hunter, of all the guys who are non-quarterbacks, he easily has the best arc plus story plus potential equals dark horse candidacy.”