Can Travis Hunter actually win the Heisman Trophy? Laying out blueprint for Colorado's two-way star

Hunter sent a message Saturday in Orlando that he should be among the serious contenders for the Heisman Trophy, despite the honor overwhelmingly trending in the direction of quarterbacks

After yet another historic performance from Colorado star Travis Hunter in the Buffs' 48-21 win at UCF, it's becoming clear that college football's two-way star is on a trajectory to be one of the biggest stories of the 2024 season. With that will come even more attention for Colorado, and also serious contention for individual accolades like the Heisman Trophy. 

And if Hunter continues to record two-way production in Colorado's biggest wins, he has a realistic path to being a historic Heisman Trophy winner. He made a nice case for it Saturday afternoon in Orlando, with an interception and a touchdown. According to some books, Hunter has the third-best odds to win the Heisman at +750 as of Saturday night, behind Alabama's Jalen Milroe -- who vaulted up to +175 thanks to a splendid first half vs. Georgia -- and Miami's Cam Ward (+500). 

Of the 10 players with the best odds, Hunter is the only non-QB sprinkled among the favorites. 

Winning the Heisman Trophy as a non-quarterback is tough enough as it is, with quarterbacks claiming the award 20 times since 2000. Those rare examples without a quarterback winning were all the star skill player of a blue blood national championship contender. But go a little bit farther back and you find a precedent that can be used to evaluate Hunter's chances to contend, because in 1997 it was Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson who became the first (and to this point) only defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. 

As mentioned, Oddsmakers have already reacted the latest performance that builds Hunter's Heisman Trophy case, moving up to among the top names on the board. But at this point in the season that's a short-term reaction to the market and not necessarily a prediction for the future. What's more interesting is how he might finish the job, how Hunter can become the second-ever defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy and go down as one of the most versatile stars in college football history. 

No statistical comparison 

One of the greatest arguments for Hunter's chances to win the Heisman Trophy is also one of the toughest hang-ups for voters to negotiate in their decision making: there are no historical benchmarks or statistical comparisons. When Heisman Trophy winners aren't coming from the very best teams in the country they are putting together statistical profiles that shatter records across the board. Heisman Trophy-winning seasons from players like Robert Griffin III or Johnny Manziel did not include competing for championships but they had iconic moments against the best teams in the country and gaudy statistics that ranked among the best in the country in multiple categories. Heisman voters who like yards and points aren't going to get wooed by snap counts, so there's very few ways for Hunter to rack up enough statistics in any one category to really have a boost on his Heisman chances. 

But what Hunter can do is continue to separate himself not just from his contemporaries but from the rest of the stars throughout the sport's history. He won't have as many yards or points as star quarterbacks at Alabama, Miami or Tennessee, but when voters realize that we have never seen a talent like Hunter before his individualism will power the Heisman case. 

Per CBS Sports research, Hunter is only the second player this century to have multiple games in a season with a touchdown and an interception (Aqib Talib, Kansas 2007). He's also now responsible for two of the only three seasons since 2000 where a player has totaled five-plus receiving touchdowns and multiple interceptions. If Hunter continues his current statistical pace in 2024, he'd set new school receiving records across the board while also ranking among the top defensive backs in the entire country. 

That's not normal, and the abnormality and inability to find a proper comparison throughout history is why Hunter's candidacy is so unique. 

The Charles Woodson case 

Travis Hunter has a clear production edge on Charles Woodson when it comes to comparing Heisman Trophy candidates at the cornerback position. Woodson had just 14 touches (11 receptions, three rushes) and three total touchdowns during the 1997 season, but also dominated defensively with seven interceptions. Hunter already has 47 receptions for 561 and six receiving touchdowns on the season, ranking among the top wide receivers nationally in all three categories, but thanks to the interception against UCF now joins the dozens who have multiple picks on the season. 

So if we were going with a straight Woodson comparison, the thought would be that Hunter needs to record more interceptions to be among the top cornerbacks in the country like the former Michigan star was in 1997. But Hunter's production at wide receiver offsets any shortcomings to Woodson's interception count, as does his usage in general when voters start to consider the athletic feat of his contributions to both sides of the ball. Plus, which quarterback in their right mind would be throwing in Hunter's direction at this point? 

MVP vs. Most Outstanding Player 

The ultimate test for Travis Hunter's Heisman Trophy is whether the hundreds of voters who have consistently chosen stars from the best teams in the country will select a player from a team that is not among the top teams in the country. At 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big !2 play, there is a path forward for Colorado to enter the College Football Playoff picture and in doing so would create an exponentially easier path to Hunter winning the Heisman. But if Colorado finds itself outside of the Big 12 title picture come November then Hunter will be relying on his unique profile in a debate with other stars (mostly quarterbacks) from teams that are among the best in the country. 

Travis Hunter 13-game pace

The Heisman Trophy, by definition, is awarded to the most outstanding player in college football. It is not an MVP award, and that's an important distinction. If we are discussing who is the most valuable player for their team, the award would be almost wrapped at this point because Hunter is very clearly more valuable to his team's success than anyone else in the country. But in order to be the most outstanding player in the eyes of a Heisman electorate with hundreds of voters all over the country you need to be in a position to stand out. Often, that means playing in games of significance in November and into early December. Hunter would be the favorite to win the college football MVP award right now, but since the Heisman is a different honor he has more competition. 

There is no magic set of numbers to hit because we've never seen another player like Hunter before. The best thing he can do is continue to produce on both sides of the ball to drive home that truly generational combination and help Colorado remain in the Big 12 and College Football Playoff race for a long as possible.