Urban Meyer backs Travis Hunter as Heisman favorite, No. 1 NFL Draft pick

The race for the Heisman Trophy has been heating up, with several players who can make strong cases for the award. That, notably, included Colorado Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter.

While discussing the Heisman favorites on The Triple Option, former head coach and current analyst Urban Meyer shared that he thinks that Hunter shouldn’t just be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Meyer also thinks he should be the top NFL Draft pick.

“Four quality, great players,” Urban Meyer said. “I love watching them all. The Heisman, the way — every year you have that argument. Is it the best player on the best team? Is it a quarterback? The Heisman is for the best player in college football and I really think this guy — those guys are really good — I just think he’s just a little bit better than all of them. Matter of fact, he’s better and it’s Travis Hunter.”

Travis Hunter rarely comes off the field for Colorado, playing both wide receiver and defensive back. That’s incredibly taxing physically on an athlete and he plays both positions at an elite level for Colorado.

“He’s the best player in the game right now. I would draft him with the first pick. This is after now I’ve researched what kind of person he is too. He’s a dog, as Prime says. He’s a D, man. He studies the game. There’s only one way you can be that great on both sides of the ball. Plus, he takes care of himself. He’s not doing the silly college stuff that a lot of guys do. So, I’ve just got so much respect for that cat,” Meyer said.

“117 plays and I pointed it out on Big Noon one time, the receivers sometimes backside or they don’t go after you downfield, he’s trying to take your hat off downfield as a blocker. So, he’s the best player in the game.”

Now in his second season at Colorado, Travis Hunter has 60 receptions for 757 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s 12.6 yards per reception on the season. Defensively, he’s made 21 total tackles and has two interceptions to go with seven passes defended.

Beyond Travis Hunter, there are several interesting players competing for the Heisman Trophy. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has put up massive numbers while quarterbacks like Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel are clearly having special seasons. However, being a two-way player is unique in the sport.

From here, Hunter has four more regular season games to add to his Heisman Trophy campaign, with a road trip to Texas Tech being Colorado’s next game.