Travis Hunter wins AP Player of the Year honor; is the Heisman next?
Travis Hunter has been named college football’s Player of the Year by the Associated Press.
Colorado’s two-way star received 26 of 43 votes from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty finished in second thanks to 16 votes while Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo received 1 vote. As a standout at both cornerback and wideout, Hunter is in line for a number of awards. The Heisman Trophy beckons, but Travis Hunter will have to beat out Jeanty for that as well.
That’s what makes Thursday’s honor from the AP so important. Hunter’s Buffaloes missed out on the Big 12 Championship Game, leaving him idle during championship weekend while Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a score to help Boise State win the Mountain West title. At the time, Jeanty seemed to be surging and some wondered if he’d made up enough ground with Hunter, who has been the betting favorite for weeks.
Of the last 21 Heisman winners, 19 of them also won the AP Player of the Year award. Each of the last 8 recipients of the AP’s Player of the Year honor also took home the Heisman. In its 27-year history, only 5 recipients of the AP Player of the Year failed to win the Heisman Trophy.
Travis Hunter is currently priced at -2000 to win the Heisman at DraftKings while Jeanty sits at +800.
Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had 4 interceptions, broke up 11 passes, and forced 1 fumble. He allowed just 22 receptions on the season, just 6 first downs, and only 1 touchdown.
Hunter has also already claimed the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, becoming the first to ever win the award in consecutive seasons. He’s a finalist for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Maxwell (most outstanding player), Biletnikoff (top pass-catcher), and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.