Travis Hunter, Trevor Woods in uniform for Colorado vs. Stanford

Colorado will return two key players tonight in its matchup against Stanford. Before the game, BuffZone’s Brian Howell reported two-way star Travis Hunter and defensive back Trevor Woods will both be back in uniform for the Buffaloes on Saturday night.

Hunter has been out since suffering a lacerated liver in Colorado’s Week 3 win against Colorado State. As for Woods, the starting safety missed the Buffaloes’ win over Arizona State last week due to a foot injury. The defensive back duo will be a major addition for Colorado.

A long time coming for Travis Hunter

Hunter’s return isn’t a surprise. The former five-star recruit has been eager to get back on the field. Earlier this week, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders raved about Hunter’s relentless desire.

“Travis looks good,” Sanders said. “Shoot, Travis is Travis, man. God don’t make too many of those. He’s most likely going to play. We’ve got to see how he practices tomorrow. Today was a day off for him. You can’t just work him, work him, work him. He had to take it easy today — he practiced both ways yesterday because that’s who he is. He has the protection on his ribs. 

“And we’ve got to see how he goes through practice tomorrow. I promise you, he’ll be in my office before I get there tomorrow waiting on me, telling me how much he wants to play.”

Evidently, Sanders relented to Hunter’s pleas. In fairness, it’s difficult to turn down what Hunter brings to the table. In just three games, Hunter tallied 16 receptions for 213 yards. He was equally effective on the other side of the ball.

In his limited time on the field, Hunter amassed nine tackles, four passes defended and an interception. After Hunter initially suffered his injury, Sanders described Hunter’s value on the field.

“Travis is always gonna be missed,” Sanders said. “He’s the best darn player in college football. How is he not missed? That’s just like you saying you’re writing an article and your pen is missing. That’s how much he means.”

Hunter was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle coming out of high school, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He played last season at Jackson State before following Sanders to Colorado.

With Hunter and Woods by their side, the Buffaloes will look for their second-straight win as they square off against Stanford at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.