Colorado's Travis Hunter has capped off his historic 2024 season by winning the Heisman Trophy, edging out Boise State's Ashton Jeanty in the closest Heisman vote since 2009.
Hunter, who played both cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes, received 552 first-place votes out of 901 total, securing 2,231 points to Jeanty's 2,017. This marks the narrowest margin for the Heisman since Alabama's Mark Ingram beat out Stanford's Toby Gerhart 15 years ago.
In his acceptance speech, the humble Hunter thanked a long list of supporters, including God, his family, teammates, coaches, and even Lil Wayne, a prominent Colorado booster.
What Hunter accomplished this season was truly unprecedented in the modern era of college football. He dominated on both sides of the ball, hauling in 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver, while also recording 4 interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and over 30 tackles as a cornerback.
His highlight-reel plays were a constant throughout the season, from forcing a game-saving fumble in overtime against Baylor, to making an acrobatic diving interception against Arizona State, to hauling in an incredible fourth-down catch against Utah.
Hunter is just the fifth non-quarterback to win the Heisman since 2000, joining the likes of Alabama's Derrick Henry and Reggie Bush of USC. He's also the first player to pull off the Bednarik (defensive player of the year) and Biletnikoff (top receiver) Award double in the same season.
The unique path that brought Hunter to Colorado is a story in itself. After being the consensus top recruit in the 2022 class, he shocked many by initially signing with FCS program Jackson State to play for NFL legend Deion Sanders. But when Sanders took the Colorado job, Hunter followed him to Boulder, where he's now cemented his legacy as one of the greatest two-way players in recent memory.
While Hunter has made it clear he's heading to the NFL after this season, Colorado fans will get one more chance to see him in action when the Buffaloes take on BYU in the Alamo Bowl on December 28th. It's a fitting end to a truly special college football career.
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