Colorado’s Travis Hunter named first team Academic All-America

The Buffaloes two-way star on the field does it in the classroom too

CU Buffs

The awards keep coming for Colorado Buffaloes standout Travis Hunter. This time, he's being recognized for his efforts in the classroom. 

Hunter was one of 27 Division I football players named first-team Academic All-America as selected by the College Sports Communicators. The sophomore from Suwanee, Ga is majoring in psychology and boasts a 3.64 GPA.   

First Team @AcadAllAmerica ➡️ @TravisHunterJr 👏#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/39FwRZYzs2

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) January 23, 2024

A former five-star prospect out of Collins Hill high school, Hunter turned down offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Clemson to play football for Deion Sanders at Jackson State. When Sanders departed for Boulder, Hunter was a big piece of the "Louis Luggage" that came with him. 

In his first season with the Buffaloes, Hunter dominated at both cornerback and wide receiver. On defense, he finished with 30 total tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. On offense, he recorded 57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns. He played more snaps from scrimmage (566 on defense and 436 on offense) than any other player in the country. And he accomplished all of that despite missing the first three Pac-12 games due to an injury. 

Last month, Hunter became the 31st consensus All-American in Colorado Buffaloes history. He’s the first Buffaloes football player to make an Academic All-America team since Nelson Spruce in 2015. Five of the 27 players named to this year’s first team hail from Pac-12 schools, including Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.