Colorado's Travis Hunter is a sensational athlete. Excellent at both wide receiver and cornerback all season, the projected first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft joined with QB Shedeur Sanders to revive the Colorado University football program, and to his credit, he accomplished just that.
Following a terrific 2024 season which saw him lead the Buffs to a 9-3 record and a meeting with top-20 BYU in the Alamo Bowl, Travis Hunter is on the accolades trail, hoping to rack up awards and recognition on his climb to the Heisman Trophy peak.
Fresh off winning the Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver of the year, however, I have some gripes with how these awards are panning out, and this could be a sign of Hunter's inevitable Heisman Trophy collection. He could win the most prestigious award in his sport.
By all measures, Hunter is one of the best football players in Division One, and a one-of-one athlete. He deserves to be recognized as such.
I'd argue, however, that a player shouldn't be given extra points for playing several positions when it comes to postseason recognition. Overall awards for excellence on the football field--separate of position--like the Maxwell or Heisman awards, should take every aspect of the game into account.
But Travis Hunter winning this honor over talents like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan or San Jose State's Nick Nash--players who I believe to be the most talented and most accomplished wide receivers of the 2025 season.
Awarding Travis Hunter the trophy for excellence at the wide receiver position should only draw from criteria regarding his time on offense. Any defensive accomplishments must be separate. For the same reasons that a Glenn Powell look-alike contest can't be awarded to a participant because he also resembles Ryan Reynolds, Hunter shouldn't get the edge over more deserving receivers because he likewise spends time on the defensive end.
I'll quench my ramblings by skipping to the point: Hunter's athletic ability is undeniable, and he's clearly one of the best players in the sport, but once major awards become rewards for recognition, the integrity and meaning of these accolades dissolve into triviality.
Truthfully, Nick Nash's snubbing due to competition may be the greatest disservice to wide receivers I've ever witnessed. Leader in all 3 major wide receiver statistics, Nash fell short thanks to his team's Mountain West Conference affiliation.
How do you lead the country in all three major categories and not win WR of the year? https://t.co/5sWxrllTdt pic.twitter.com/m8B0LdusMS
— Alex Taylor (@alex_m_taylor22) December 13, 2024
My main concern is what this may mean for the Heisman Trophy, which has been Hunter's to lose all season if you believe oddsmakers. Though Boise State's record-shattering running back, Ashton Jeanty, already secured the Maxwell Award, I'd be shocked to see the Bronco's odds improve as we draw nearer to the Trophy's announcement ceremony.
I'll finish with a final plea to Heisman voters. Don't allow yourselves to lose sight of your decision's weight. Don't let this become a trophy awarded only to the biggest names in the sport--reward the biggest and brightest stars who have accomplished the most for their team. This season, that title belongs to Ashton Jeanty, the record setting running back who led his Mountain West squad to a Playoff bye.
Do the right thing.