Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter has captured immense attention for his two-way skills. Several NFL stars have praised him and vouched for his Heisman candidacy. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase finds the Colorado star to be a “one-of-a-kind” athlete.
This season, the Colorado star put up insane stats while playing most of the snaps in every game. He caught 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. Meanwhile, on defense, he recorded four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and one forced fumble on top of contributing 31 tackles.
Ja’Marr Chase Praises Travis Hunter for Unprecedented Two-Way Skills
What Hunter did this season is not commonly seen in college football let alone other professional sports. Like Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani of the MLB, who stars in both the pitching and hitting aspects of baseball, similarly, Hunter also plays as a cornerback on defense and wide receiver on offense.
During a Dec. 12 interview with reporters, Chase shared his praise for Hunter.
“Yeah, I watched a little bit,” Chase told reporters. “He’s a crazy athlete. He’s one of a kind. That’s all I can say. He’s one of a kind.”
When reporters asked Hunter about possibly playing both as a cornerback and wide receiver when he arrives in the NFL, Chase shared his two cents.
“I don’t know one person who did it besides him. I could sit there and play, but I’m not doing it. I know he’s tired,” Chase added. “You’ve really got to be in shape for that — to be playing both sides. I salute him for it because I know I wouldn’t do it. That’s too much running. Les Miles tried to get me to play DB, and I didn’t do it.”
Hunter Is Among the Frontrunners To Win Heisman Trophy
Hunter was named among the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy this year. Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, and Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty are the other three in the running for the honor. On Dec. 14, the Heisman winner will be announced at Lincoln Center in New York.
Hunter is the overwhelming favorite in the eyes of oddsmakers. Jeanty is closest to giving Hunter competition for first-place votes, followed by Ward and Gabriel.
While Hunter is viewed as the frontrunner, a unanimous vote is a rare occurrence; the race may come to how many first-place votes can be splintered across the multiple candidates.