Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter has responded to his finalist omission for the Jim Thorpe Award. Earlier in the week, it was surprisingly announced that the dual-threat wide receiver and cornerback Hunter would be not among the top three defensive backs honored this season.
Presented annually to the top defensive back in the nation at the college football level, the award has been won by past and current NFL legends. In 1988, Hunter’s present coach “Prime Time” Deion Sanders won the award while playing his college football for the Florida State Seminoles.
What Did Hunter Say About Coach Prime?
While speaking in an interview this week, Hunter acknowledged how grateful he was for his coach’s support and backing during this frustrating and confusing time.
“It definitely means a lot because I know he’s got a lot of say,” he stated.
However, he questioned how it was possible for someone to be selected as a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year while not being up for the best defensive player at his actual position. Hunter also detailed how he does not believe it is possible to win Defensive Player of the Year without being nominated for the Jim Thorpe Award.
“How can a corner win the Defensive Player of the Year and not be on a cornerback award?” he added.
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Travis Hunter’s Future Outlook
Despite the Jim Thorpe Award snub, Hunter is enjoying one of the most prolific and remarkable campaigns in recent college football memory. He is the current favorite for the Heisman Trophy, an award presented annually to the nation’s top college football player, regardless of position.
After he was snubbed, even former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III posted a clip on X, blasting the committee for punishing the Buffs’ two-way star due to the identity of his coach.
“Stop punishing Travis Hunter just because Deion Sanders is his coach,” Griffin said. “It is clear and obvious that Travis Hunter should have been a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. But for some reason, he was left off the list! Shoutout to Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and Georgia safety Malaki Starks. All three of those young men are straight ballers!
Voters need to STOP PUNISHING Travis Hunter just because they don’t like Deion Sanders. Travis Hunter is not a product of hype. He should have been a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.@TravisHunterJr vs Jim Thorpe Award Finalists
1st in Passes Defended
2nd in Ints
4th in… pic.twitter.com/41ztDfSP66— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 27, 2024
“But among those three finalists, Travis Hunter ranks second in interceptions, first in passes defended, and fourth in tackles. So didn’t they really vote for him to be a finalist because he didn’t have as many tackles as the other guys? Since when is getting tackles as a corner a good thing?”
In addition, he is currently being projected as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, a sentiment shared by Pro Football Network’s Dalton Miller in his recent 7-round mock draft.
“Travis Hunter is by far the best cornerback in college football and is one of the five best pass catchers in the country. Ronald Darby is under contract for another season, which allows Jacksonville a bit of a buffer to use Hunter on both sides of the ball as a rookie. With the Jaguars building off of Tyson Campbell on the opposite side, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to maintain a low-cost veteran to split defensive snaps with Hunter.
Why not just have him specialize defensively? Hunter’s ball skills make him a quarterback’s best friend, and his innate post-catch vision make him a weapon as a manufactured touch weapon. But the Colorado athlete’s route running took a step up in 2024 as well, proving he has more upside on the offensive side than previously believed.”
While the Jim Thorpe Award finalist snub has been trending in recent days and sparked intense debate about the selection process, the reality is Hunter will receive his fair share of admiration and honors at the season’s conclusion. Though the Thorpe Award will not be one of them, Hunter is poised to take home many of the other awards he is nominated for and has an extremely bright future after his college career comes to an end.