Paul Finebaum, Desmond Howard debate whether Travis Hunter can win 2024 Heisman Trophy

Travis Hunter started his 2024 Heisman Trophy campaign off right on Thursday with a dazzling performance on both sides of the ball for Colorado in their 31-26 win over North Dakota State. Looking like a potentially generational player in his 129 total snaps between offense and defense.

Hunter ended the game with three tackles, seven receptions, 132 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. But despite his strong showing and potentially looking like the best player in the nation, the Buffaloes are still expected by most to finish the season with a losing record in year one as a member of the Big 12 Conference.

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With that in mind, ESPN host Mike Greenberg asked a pair of college football analysts if they believe Hunter could take home the Heisman Trophy this season even if Colorado finishes the season with a losing record during Get Up on Friday morning.

“It’s possible,” Paul Finebaum said. “Normally Greeny, a grizzled old veteran like me would say not a chance. Go back to Paul Hornung in the 50s, who played on a losing team at Notre Dame. But he is so dynamic.”

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Hunter took home the award named after Hornung last season, given to the most versatile player in college football after leading the nation in total snaps played despite missing three and a half games with injury. But even though he’s supremely talented and undoubtedly impactful, Finebaum does worry about the availability of the two-way superstar.

“But the question I have even beyond whether he could win the Heisman with a losing record or even .500, is he going to be able to survive the season?” Finebaum asked. “He played too much last night for my taste. I mean this is a guy who was so valuable on both sides of the ball, especially at cornerback, that every time you use him as a receiver, he’s getting banged up, and that’s going to be costly in a long season.”

Former Michigan football standout Desmond Howard took home a Heisman Trophy of his own back in 1991. And after watching Hunter’s performance on Thursday, Howard thinks the do it all player has firmly put himself in the running for college football’s most prestigious award regardless of what Colorado’s record is this season.

“I think that because he’s so special, he’s a unicorn, I think that Travis Hunter, he will be able to win the Heisman. Even if they have a losing record, because he’s so special,” Howard said. “I mean, you look at this kid, what he’s able to do on offense and defense.”

“You guys talked about that catch, that fade-stop catch, where he caught it with two hands. I said listen, you see guys all the time catch the ball with one hand, but that contested catch is a far more difficult catch than it is with two hands,” Howard explained. “So I think that Travis Hunter is a guy who’s special, very unique, and he’s not only can he plays both ways. But the amount of snaps he takes is this crazy, it’s ridiculous. So hopefully you can keep up at that pace.”

Howard was referring to Hunter’s third touchdown catch of the evening that help extend Colorado’s lead over the Bison in the fourth quarter. An impressive, contested touchdown grab from the three-yard line that would have been impressive from any player. Much less one that spent half of the night guarding the other teams opposing wide receivers.

“He’s a one of one, a generational talent. He has the stamina of a world class marathon runner,” Howard added later in the show. “To go out there and play offense and defense is one thing, but to play it consistently at an extremely high level is a whole other ball game. And that’s what Travis Hunter brings to the gridiron every time he steps on the field. You want to give this trophy to somebody that’s unique, to something that’s rare.”

Only two non-quarterbacks have taken home the Heisman Trophy in the last decade, and nobody who has played on the defensive side of the ball. But Hunter’s uniqueness as a player may firmly put him in the race for the award, a clear frontrunner in the eyes of Howard at the moment.

“You always hear about these quarterbacks, you’re going to hear about this guy should be a candidate,” Howard said. “Nobody should be a candidate unless they show you something that you really haven’t seen before or you haven’t seen in decades and that’s Travis Hunter.”

“Right now, it’s Travis Hunter versus the field.”