The Big Lead

Colorado's Travis Hunter wins 2024 AP Player of the Year amid Heisman hype over Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo

By Sam Westmoreland

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) following an interception in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) following an interception in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Travis Hunter, the dual threat superstar at Colorado, won the first of what promises to be many awards on Thursday, after he was named the Associated Press' 2024 Player of the Year.

"Couldn't do what I do without my team," Hunter said in an email on a trip to Las Vegas for an awards ceremony. "So I view being up for these awards as team awards."

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Hunter beat out Boise State's running back Austin Jeanty and Arizona State's Cam Skattebo, earning 26 of 43 votes en route to the award.

The junior is notable because he plays virtually every snap on both sides of the ball for the Buffaloes, racking up 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on 92 catches, while also picking off four passes and defending 11 others this season.

He's not the first two-way player in college; standouts like Michigan's Charles Woodson and Georgia's Champ Bailey tended to focus primarily on one position while doing spot work in the other, and were seldom as dominant on both sides of the ball as Hunter has been. He figures to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft.

But first, Hunter has awards to win. He's been nominated for the Bednarik Award for the best defensive player in college football; the Maxwell award for the best overall players, and the Biletnikoff award, given to the best wide receiver in the sport. He's likely to be a favorite, if not the favorite, to bring home all three.

On top of that, Hunter is one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, and is widely seen as the favorite to bring home college football's most outstanding player award over Jeanty, Miami quarterback Cam Ward, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Ultimately, winning AP player of the year is likely a sign of things to come for Hunter, who figures to bring home a fair amount of hardware this winter.

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