Colorado’s Travis Hunter named Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year

Colorado Buffaloes two-way superstar Travis Hunter was named as the Big 12 Conference's Male Athlete of the Year after his dominant 2024 season

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Jul 24, 2025, 11:04 AM

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Travis Hunter put up one of the greatest, most decorated individual seasons in the history of college football in 2024, and received an unfathomable amount of awards for his efforts on both sides of the football, highlighted by the Heisman Trophy. On Thursday, he added more hardware to his overflowing trophy cabinet.

Ladies and gentlemen… give it up for the 2024-25 Big 12 Athletes of the Year 👏

⭐️ NiJaree Canady | @TexasTechSB
⭐️ Travis Hunter | @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/DPdmlZhxIq

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 24, 2025

Hunter was named as the Big 12 Conference’s Male Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 season. NiJaree Canady, a softball phenom from Texas Tech who is also a two-way player, was the female nominee.

Hunter’s remarkable skillset on the field on both sides of the football is why no other male athlete in the conference, no matter the sport, could compete with him for the award. In 2024, he became the second Heisman Trophy winner in the history of CU football, was the National Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and The Sporting News, a unanimous All-American, and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He won a laundry list of more awards: the Walter Camp Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Fred Biletnikoff Award, the Lott Trophy and the Paul Hornung Award.

He also just won the Bob Bowlsby Award, another conference award that “recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who exemplify excellence and leadership both on and off the field.”

The two-way phenom played 1,548 snaps in the 2024 season (including plays that were called back for penalties), 87% of the total offensive snaps and 83% of the total defensive snaps. He finished the year with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards (fifth-most in the country) and 15 receiving touchdowns (most in CU history, second-most in the country), plus another touchdown on the ground. On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter wrapped up the year with 36 tackles, 25 solo and one for a loss, four interceptions for 65 return yards, 11 pass breakups and one forced fumble.

If anyone needs a reminder of just how great he was at Colorado in 2024, the tape speaks for itself.

Four minutes and 36 seconds of Travis Hunter highlights… for no particular reason at all.#Big12FB | @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/Va6AmjHD5Z

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 7, 2024

The Big 12 Conference also values academics just as much as athletics, and Hunter was an Academic All-American in both of his years at CU. He walked at Colorado graduation in May, and is on track to finish his psychology degree this upcoming semester.

Hunter, 22, is now down in Jacksonville gearing up for his rookie NFL season with the Jaguars. He has been active on both sides of the ball throughout the offseason, a sign that new head coach Liam Coen is going to let the two-way phenom make an impact on both sides of the football.