Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are chasing the Heisman

BOULDER—While it’s still unclear how good the Colorado Buffaloes are as a team after Week 1, one thing is obvious—if Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter stay healthy the two will have a real shot at earning the program’s second Heisman Trophy.

The star quarterback and his one-of-a-kind two-way-teammate dazzled in the Buffs’ 2024 season debut. Rivaling their season-opener from a year ago in terms of both stats and eyeballs—the two not only impressed some of the biggest stars in the country but were essential in the 31-26 CU win.

Hunter notched a hat trick of touchdowns on seven catches for 132 yards while Sanders added one more to Jimmy Horn Jr. for four through the air, striking for 445 yards. Hunter, of course, also played nearly every play on defense, as CU’s defense not only needed to stop a last-ditch North Dakota State drive but spent 37 minutes on the field getting gashed by the Bison ground game.

“It’s really a connection because he decided to defy the odds and come to Jackson State,” Shedeur said of his teammate of three years now. “I look back and really respect him for that because a player of his caliber did not have to do that. So years of connection and talking about different things as well as he plays defensive back and he understands body positioning better than other wide receivers.”

So it’s the two-way skills and a dash of extra time with Prime and family that has Hunter so in synch. And it’s not hype either, Deion Sanders treats Hunter like another of his sons. Maybe that’s because Hunter plays the sport the most like Prime Time since well, Sanders himself—starring on two sides of the ball and making big plays. Sanders didn’t explore all of that skill in college and it’s for that he constantly says his pupil is a better player.

“They got their own little thing going on and I’m not mad at it because it works,” Coach Prime said. “There’s a certain chemistry they have where Shedeur is going to place that ball, there’s no 50-50 balls with Travis, if it’s up there he’s going to catch that ball.”

Hunter was part of CU’s defensive efforts in allowing almost nothing on the outside, while on offense he dominated the sidelines and that’s what will stick with anyone who was in Boulder on Thursday. Yet what stuck with his quarterback was a play he didn’t make, which inspired his brother to make one of the catches of the year.

“It’s funny because he got on me for not catching one where there was a flag (for defensive pass interference) because I told him to throw me the ball no matter what and he said I don’t care to catch the ball. So I knew I had no other choice but to catch that one. Whatever I had to do, I was gonna get it.”

That one? A goalline fade where Hunter caught the ball across his body while being draped on by the defensive back.

RIDICULOUS TD CATCH 😱

Make that three touchdowns for Travis Hunter tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zzohGx3ybZ

— ESPN (@espn) August 30, 2024

That play wasn’t the only one that had the likes of LeBron James, JJ Watt, Tyreek Hill, Patrick Surtain II, and more posting. Hunter caught another wild touchdown where he out-juked a defender and a third where he sped past everyone like a video game.

“I got no personal goals, I just want to win every week and dominate,” Hunter said after shutting down a question about the praise he got from some of those big names. “We have a target on us and we have to make a statement… I just want to win with my team and the end goal is holding up a trophy.”

It’s not for nothing that Nike posted a billboard of Sanders about the time being right in Times Square on the eve of the season. And that iconic New York City location, it’s just blocks from where they hand out the Heisman. Yet it was Hunter whose Heisman odds ballooned from +5000 before kickoff to +1500 by night’s end.

“No personal goals though, we just want to win games,” Sanders said. “But we got a get a lot of competitions but personal goals don’t matter, just wins.

Completions and wins?

As Prime said into the microphone walking off the field to 100-year-old superfan Peggy Coppom, “One step closer to getting you a bowl game.” Complete those steps all the way to the postseason and a Heisman finalist invite will almost certainly follow—and maybe some trophies too, including the one only Rashaan Salaam has brought home to Boulder.