Tag: Travis Hunter

Colorado star Travis Hunter sidelined for remainder of Arizona game

Colorado has opted to keep Travis Hunter sidelined for the remainder of today’s game at Arizona

Colorado football cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter has been sidelined for the remainder of the Buffs’ Saturday afternoon game against the Arizona Wildcats.

According to Fox Sports, Hunter experienced a “slight reaggravation” of the shoulder injury he suffered last week against Baylor. CU announced Hunter’s removal was due to “preventative measures.”

Hunter wasn’t dressed in uniform when the Buffs took the field for the second half.

In the first half, Hunter had two catches for 17 yards and one tackle before exiting.

Tight end Sam Hart and true freshman running back Micah Welch also won’t return for the remainder of Saturday’s game in Tucson, per multiple reports. Welch has been nursing a hamstring injury and Hart suffered an apparent leg injury early in the first half.

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Travis Hunter billed as country’s third-best player in ESPN’s midseason top 25

Is Travis Hunter the best player in college football? ESPN thinks otherwise

Colorado wide receiver/cornerback and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter was listed at No. 3 in ESPN’s midseason top-25 college football player ranking, published Wednesday. Hunter was ranked behind Miami quarterback Cam Ward (No. 2) and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (No. 1).

Hunter, a projected top pick in the 2025 NFL draft, has 587 receiving yards and six touchdowns thus far this season in addition to stellar play at cornerback. The senior has 16 total tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble on defense through six games.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders also made the list, taking the No. 16 spot.

While appearing on the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast, Hunter sounded off on his chances to win college football’s most prestigious award, the Heisman.

“I know I can win it,” Hunter said. “Y’all see Ashton Jeanty, it’s not like we haven’t seen a running back that’s good. We haven’t seen a player that plays both ways, and I’m gonna keep saying that.”

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Travis Hunter ‘should play for certain’ against Arizona, per Deion Sanders

Colorado should be getting its Heisman contender back this weekend

Colorado football fans likely suffered a scare when wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter went down with an apparent right shoulder injury during Saturday’s loss to Kansas State. Fortunately for the Buffs, his status appears clear regarding this weekend’s matchup at Arizona.

“Travis should play for certain,” head coach Deion Sanders said during his weekly press conference Tuesday morning.

Hunter headed to the locker room after suffering the shoulder injury early in the second quarter on Saturday night. While he later returned to the sideline, the two-way phenom didn’t return to the game.

At the midway point of this season, Hunter leads CU in receiving yards (587) and is second in receiving touchdowns (six). The Heisman hopeful is looking to help the Buffs bounce back this Saturday in Tuscon.

Jimmy Horn Jr., the Buffs’ second-leading receiver, should also play this weekend, per Coach Prime. The senior exited the K-State game with an apparent ankle injury.

Colorado’s latest injury news isn’t all positive, though. Wideout Omarion Miller, who led Colorado in receiving yards against the Wildcats with 145, is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his leg. During the fourth quarter of Saturday’s contest, Miller was left in severe pain after taking the brunt of a Kansas State defender’s hip-drop tackle following a 51-yard grab.

Coach Prime also revealed that wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. is “probably out” against Arizona.

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Back-to-back Buffaloes at the top of new 1-round mock draft update

Which Colorado superstar goes first in this new mock draft?

With one third of the NFL regular season in the books, we have a pretty good idea of where the weak spots are on all 32 NFL rosters. The trade deadline is almost upon us so before we see a final furious shuffling of players, we wanted to do a one-round mock draft for 2025.

The big question with this draft, like every draft is about the quarterbacks. Guys like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Georgia’s Carson Beck have been inconsistent this season but should still be in the mix to be the top quarterback off the board along with Miami’s Cam Ward and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

In 2024 we saw four quarterbacks off the board in the first eight picks and six in the top 12. We might see four more quarterbacks go in the first dozen picks of 2025, depending on how things play out.

1 New England Patriots (1-5) – WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

2 Cleveland Browns (1-5) – QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

3 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) – CB Will Johnson, Michigan

4 Carolina Panthers (1-5) – QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

5 Los Angeles Rams (1-4) – OT Will Campbell, LSU

6 Tennessee Titans (1-4) – WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

7 New York Jets (2-4) – EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M

8 Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) – DT Mason Graham, Michigan

9 New Orleans Saints (2-4) – DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan

10 Arizona Cardinals (2-4) – OL Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

11 New York Giants (2-4) – QB Carson Beck, Georgia

12 Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) – QB Cam Ward, Miami

13 Miami Dolphins (2-3) – OT Cameron Williams, Texas

14 Seattle Seahawks (3-3) – OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota

15 Denver Broncos (3-3) – WR Luther Burden III, Missouri

16 Dallas Cowboys (3-3) – EDGE LT Overton, Alabama

17 Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) – EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State

18 Chicago Bears (4-2) – S Malaki Starks, Georgia

19 Indianapolis Colts (3-3) – CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

20 San Francisco 49ers (3-3) – OT Emery Jones Jr., LSU

21 Buffalo Bills (3-2) – WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

22 Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) – DT Deone Walker, Kentucky

23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) – EDGE Mykel Walker, Georgia

24 Green Bay Packers (4-2) – CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina

25 Washington Commanders (4-2) – EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

26 Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) – RB Ashont Jeanty, Boise State

27 Baltimore Ravens (4-2) – CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State

28 Detroit Lions  (4-1) – WR Isaiah Bond, Texas

29 Atlanta Falcons (4-2) – EDGE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State

30 Houston Texans (5-1) – DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati

31 Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) – TE Colston Loveland, Michigan

32 Minnesota Vikings (5-0) – S Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State

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Travis Hunter wants to stay in Colorado, play for Broncos

CU Buffs star Travis Hunter would like to stay in Colorado and play for the Broncos in the NFL.

One of the biggest stars in college football right now is CU’s own Travis Hunter, a junior. Hunter is a two-way player, who currently plays wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes.

As one of the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft, Hunter is garnering a lot of attention from personalities on and off the field. Recently, Hunter joined the Deestroying podcast, where he said he wanted to play for the Denver Broncos.

“My neighbors know my car in the neighborhood,” said Hunter. “Before every game, or before every time we leave (for a road game) and go to the team hotel, they leave a sign in front of my truck, and it’ll say, ‘He’s everywhere,’ ‘He’s him,’ ‘Heisman him,’ and switch it up every game. I get to see that every game, so that’s pretty cool. Then I get the little kids come over and want me to sign stuff. The fan base here is pretty good. It’s probably one of the best fan bases. I never feel uncomfortable or not safe.

“I wish I could go to the Broncos just to stay in Colorado just ‘cuz so many people welcomed us with open arms and they showed us love that we would never would have gotten in a different spot.”

You can watch Hunter’s segment below.

https://twitter.com/RealMatSmith/status/1841945364741685445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Broncos currently sit at 3-2 heading into their Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Hunter has another chance to impress scouts when the Buffs play the 18th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field on Saturday at 8:15 pm MST.

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ESPN analyst ranks Kelvin Banks Jr. as top five draft prospect in 2025 class

In his latest mock draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kipper released his latest mock draft projects Longhorn offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in the top five.

While the 2025 NFL Draft is still months away, teams have been busy making their draft rankings. On Thursday, ESPN analyst Mel Kipper released his latest mock draft, which included Longhorn offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in the top five. The talented junior has put together a stellar 2024 campaign, and his stock has been on the rise.

During the Longhorns’ undefeated start, Banks has been a model of consistency, appearing in every game. In the Longhorns’ latest win over Mississippi State, Banks did not allow a sack or quarterback pressure. Due to his efforts in Week 5, the Texas native was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career.

In Kiper’s draft, the only players ranked ahead of Banks were Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, and Abdul Carter. For teams such as the New England Patriots, who need help on the offensive line, Banks will be a popular target.

Through the first few weeks of the season, Banks has been one of the Longhorns’ highest-graded players. He has also been a key piece of an offense that is averaging 45 points and 513.4 points per game. One of the reasons Texas is ranked No.1 is because of how good the offense has been.

If Banks can build on his impressive start, Kiper’s prediction could come true in just a few months. He has the frame to take care of big pass rushers and has only allowed two sacks this season. Banks will be a valuable addition to any NFL team, regardless of where he is picked.

NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper compares Travis Hunter to Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers

NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper spoke on how Travis Hunter compares to the best wide receivers from this past NFL draft class

We all understand that this will be Travis Hunter’s final season wearing a Colorado football uniform. The two-way star will undoubtedly be a high first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, and analysts are already comparing him to former top picks.

Recently, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper spoke with Field Yates and Mike Greenberg about Hunter’s all-around abilities. Kiper showed his respect for Hunter when he ranked the Buffs’ star over standout freshmen wide receivers Ryan Williams (Alabama) and Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), who technically aren’t eligible for the draft until 2027.

Yates then questioned Kiper on whether Hunter was a better prospect than 2024 first-round NFL draft picks Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr., leading to the following exchange:

Yates: Compared to last year’s class, would you put Travis Hunter ahead of Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr.?

Kiper: As a football player, yes.

Yates: As a wide receiver?

Kiper: I love Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik (Nabers). I love Rome Odunze, all three of them. It’s hard to say with those three as a wide receiver, he (Hunter) would be right in there. I don’t think he takes a back seat to anybody.

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Travis Hunter expresses desire to stay in Colorado and play for Denver Broncos

Travis Hunter has interest in taking his talents from Boulder to Denver

Whether he plays cornerback, wide receiver or both at the next level, Travis Hunter will provide a generational skillset to whichever NFL team drafts the Colorado football standout.

It’s still early, but if the Denver Broncos can secure a top-five pick in next year’s draft, they should consider Hunter. The current Heisman frontrunner would give the Broncos a lockdown corner opposite Pat Surtain II and/or another receiving weapon to help young quarterback Bo Nix.

Earlier this week, Hunter appeared on the “Kickin’ It with Dee” podcast and expressed his desire to stay in Colorado and play for the Broncos. His appreciation for the community is a large reason why.

“They (neighbors) watch out for my house, they watch out for everything that’s going on over here because they know how much I mean to the city and how much I mean to the state,” Hunter said. “I never feel uncomfortable or not safe. I wish I could go to the Broncos just to stay in Colorado because so much people just welcome us with open arms. They show us love that we would never have gotten in a different spot.”

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Travis Hunter top Big 12 Heisman Trophy candidate ahead of Week 6

The Big 12 Conference NEEDS to have some representation at the Heisman Trophy presentation. Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Avery Johnson, and Jake Retzlaff make their cases!

The Big 12 is trying to solidify itself as the third most powerful conference in college football, hoping to survive whatever comes next in the NCAA.

Adding strong programs, like the Utah Utes, helps, but star power is a critical element of success in the eyes of many. TV contracts drive a lot of conference prestige, and stars drive those contracts.

To achieve that star power the Big 12 needs Heisman Trophy candidates.

Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes are doing their part, with quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/defensive back hybrid Travis Hunter both squarely in the mix ahead of Week 6 of the season.

The Colorado duo are not the only candidates to take home college football’s most coveted prize however, with Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson on the list… But what’s their present argument for the big prize? And is there a dark horse candidate in the Big 12? Let’s break it down:

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The Favorite: Shedeur Sanders

The Colorado Buffaloes do top the list, twice. And to be fair, they have a lot left to prove. But the Heisman has been, by and large, a quarterback award. Since 2000, 20 quarterbacks have won the award. And the quarterback with the most star power in the Big 12 has to be the guy with a celebration that is…flexing his watch?

Sanders is top-10 in passing yards, top-5 in passing touchdowns, has just three interceptions, and – somehow – the stats don’t tell the whole story. Sanders is constantly running around for his life. He has the Hail Mary’s to seal comebacks and he can march down the field. The only question is: is Shedeur Sanders even his own team’s best player? And can he be the Most Outstanding Player in America if he isn’t?

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The Best: Travis Hunter

Nationally, Travis Hunter is 4th in receiving yards, and 3rd in receiving touchdowns. Also, he has played more defensive snaps than offensive snaps this year because, as talented a wideout as he is, he is an even better defensive back. Hunter could be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as a wide receiver or a cornerback. He was a preseason All-American at two positions. He makes dazzling plays on both sides of the ball and, if he really had the opportunity to focus on one thing, could probably play any position.

Sanders needs Hunter, Hunter needs Sanders. The only issue that either player could run into as they hope to get invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony is stealing one anothers’ votes.

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The Other Guy: Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson is only ranked in the top 60 of all NCAA players in rushing yards and added a pair of rushing touchdowns last week… as a quarterback. He also has 880 pass yards and nine touchdowns. Obviously, the Wildcats took a spill in Provo, Utah, but most do.

The true dual-threat quarterback seems poised to help the Kansas State Wildcats bounce back from and win the Big 12. To do that, they would likely have to win on the road in Boulder, Colorado, on October 12th, and could avenge their early loss to BYU in a title game trip to Arlington, Texas. With the Buffaloes splitting votes, could Avery Johnson be the Big 12’s best bet?

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The Dark horse: Jake Retzlaff

Retzlaff, quarterback of the BYU Cougars, is an elite passer. The Corona, California, native has over 1,200 yards passing and has thrown 11 touchdowns. After beating the Baylor Bears last week, BYU sits at 5-0 and could make noise nationally very soon. The Cougars’ early season win over the SMU Mustangs looks better every week, they beat KSU like very few teams have in the Chris Kleiman era, and their statement game comes in a game they call “The Holy War.” BYU heads to No. 18 Utah in early November in a game that could propel him into the conversation.

The Cougars wrap with the Kansas Jayhawks, the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the Houston Cougars. Four programs Retzlaff has the potential to light up on his way to a Big 12 title game in Arlington.

Colorado star highlights Big 12 Week 5 superlatives

Big 12 football continues to be exhilarating, with Travis Hunter, Arizona, and others headlining our Week 5 superlatives.

Big 12 football never disappoints, and Week 5 was no exception. A look back at the week is full of big plays made, shocking messages sent, and incredible performances. Shots at the College Football Playoff appear squashed

But who stood out? In the Big 12, which featured seven conference games last weekend, who had the best Week 5? The worst? The most memorable?

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Most Outstanding Performance: Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State Wildcats

Quarterback Avery Johnson was a true dual-threat on Saturday in Kansas State’s big win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Johnson was 19/31 passing for 259 yards and three touchdowns.

He was able to add in five rushes for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well. Johnson’s efforts helped propel KSU to a 42-20 win over No. 20 OSU.

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Coach on the Hottest Seat: Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears

Truthfully, Baylor Bears’ head coach Dave Aranda would be in this position every week for over a year. Baylor followed 2021’s 12-2 campaign with a combined 11-19 over three years, and it looks like that number will only get worse over the course of this season.

While both Big 12 losses (to the Colorado Buffaloes and BYU Cougars) were one-score games, Aranda’s team has yet to play an entire game of good football. They blew the lead late to fall to Colorado in overtime after completely botching Hail Mary defense and they let BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff scorch them to open their first home Big 12 game of the year. None of that is good unless you like a very effective seat warmer.

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Biggest Surprise: Arizona Wildcats

It’s not that there was no world where Arizona would ever beat Utah, especially after they won last year in Tucson. But to win like that, in Salt Lake City, was not something people saw coming

Even with Cam Rising out with injury, quarterback Isaac Wilson had a game just a week ago where he led the Utes to victory in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He didn’t excel like Rising, but with Oklahoma State being a highly-ranked team that seemed to make sense. Further, Arizona looked bad in their win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, and worse in their loss at Kansas State. While this might not have been as surprising in August, it was certainly not the result anyone had going into the weekend.

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Best Play of the Week: Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes

I’m not sure what position he plays in the NFL, because he may have options, but the do-it-all weapon for the Colorado Buffaloes continues to shine. Coach Deion Sanders is putting something together in Colorado that you just can’t look away from. No one could.

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Biggest Question Mark: Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks entered the season ranked in the AP Top 25. Coach Lance Leipold was a “hot name” in college football coaching. They had an expected victory over FCS Lindenwood Lions and moved up.

Since then, KU has had a steep fall. To date, Kansas has still not beaten an FBS school this season. Last weekend’s loss to a floundering TCU Horned Frogs team would have been baffling to a fan in August and continues to add question marks to the program we expected quarterback Jalon Daniels to lead to the next level.