Could Colorado's Travis Hunter Become First Defensive Heisman Since 1997?
Colorado megastar Travis Hunter is no stranger to making waves. Could he grab another feat for his mantle by becoming the first primary defender to win the Heisman trophy since 1997?
As Jesse Simonton of On3 Sports made his early list of contenders for the award, Hunter came in very high at No. 2. This is a fairly hot take, given that the two-way player is not favored in Vegas. Oddsmakers have him at around +5000 to win the gold.
Those odds are not a reflection of the player, rather just how hard it is for someone to win it while playing a majority of their ball on the defensive side. He gets his fair share of snaps on offense, but is it enough?
One thing working in his favor is that there is more of a precedent for him than other recent defenders. Charles Woodson did more than just play defense when he won it. It wasn't nearly as much as Hunter does, but it still played a factor. The Colorado star playing even more could add to his odds.
Woodson's Heisman season saw him log seven interceptions, 231 receiving yards, five offensive touchdowns and a punt return touchdown.
Hunter had three interceptions, 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns. While electric, that's probably not enough to win anything major. He did miss some time due to injury, so maybe a full season will help add to that line.
He is also one of the most popular players in the last decade. Most recently, he landed on the cover of the upcoming EA College Football 25.
That popularity has already helped him break boundaries as one of the most successful NIL stories since it's introduction to the NCAA.
On3 has his valuation at $2.7 million, which would be the second-most of any college football player. He's done deals with companies ranging from Squishmallow to American Eagle.
He has the talent and platform to make it to New York, but will voters buck the trend of giving the award to mostly just pure offensive skill players?
DYLAN SANDERS
Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders