Travis Hunter is now alone at the top of the Heisman race

A second week of massive help, plus one of the biggest wins by the Colorado Buffaloes in years led by Travis Hunter means the two-way star is now the lone bookmaker’s favorite for the Heisman.

It’s Hunter’s first topping the charts by himself after taking co-reigns last week with Miami’s Cam Ward. The Hurricanes’ undefeated season ended thanks to an upset by Georgia Tech. Though Ward’s performance was pretty good, a lot of his case was built on the team’s success. Hunter’s team may have a worse record but his do-it-all historic performance stands on its own. And Ward’s billing as the top quarterback has been replaced by another gunslinger whose team is having a great year.

Hunter caught nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Buffaloes win at Texas Tech. And that’s just half the story—he played 53 snaps on defense and the Red Raiders only threw his way once. Hunter did make an unreal pick in the game that didn’t count because of a flag so it just goes for a highlight and not a stat.

Hunter’s elite game on offense has resulted in 69 catches for 856 yards and nine touchdowns. While his defense has been highlighted by two interceptions, one forced fumble, seven passes defended and 20 tackles defensively. The All-American from a season ago is making a real push for the Heisman because of his abilities on both sides of the ball and his durability to do it all game long. He’s helped carry the rebound Buffaloes who are in line to play in the Big 12 championship game. His success and skills match the mission of the Heisman— to recognize college football’s most outstanding player.

Hunter has also proven to bounce back this season. His Heisman chances took a big hit in October because his production diminished much of the month. The Buffs began on bye, where Hunter’s chances actually raised, but then he was limited in two consecutive games due to injury. Hunter came away from Week 6 as +300 to capture the award and just behind the favorite Ashton Jeanty. Then the shoulder injury struck and Hunter fell to fifth in the race and +2,000 entering Week 9. Hunter rose to a co-favorite last week with Dillon Gabriel of Oregon at +260 and now for the first time, his odds are better than anyone else’s.

Gabriel led the No. 1 Ducks past Maryland last weekend. Throwing for three touchdowns and 183 yards, Gabriel leads the country with a 74.1 completion percentage, and the Big Ten with 2,848 yards and 22 passing touchdowns. The sixth-year player transferred from UCF then Oklahoma to end up in Eugene.

Ward, a fifth-year transfer quarterback from Washington State and Incarnate Word leads the country with 32 passing touchdowns to just six picks while throwing for a nation-leading 3,494 yards on 67% completions. The ‘Canes loss included a big fumble by Ward late.

And then there’s the runner, Ashton Jeanty. The reigning Moutain West Offensive Player of the Year has 224 carries this season, gaining an NCAA-best 1,734 rushing yards already while also pacing the country with 23 rushing touchdowns  Yet he’s slipped in the race because his yards per carry went down yet again, decreasing by almost three yards a carry in his last two contests.

Post-Week 11 Heisman Odds

Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR/CB (+110)
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, QB (+330)
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, RB (+350)
Cam Ward, Miami, QB (+700)
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, QB (1,500)
Jalen Milroe, Alabama, QB (+1,800)
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, QB (+2,000)
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, QB (+4,000)
Quinn Ewers, Texas, QB (+4,000)
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, QB (+7,500)

It’s not a real surprise, that a quarterback doesn’t pace the field this late. While Jeanty was the favorite late last month, his odds have fallen quite a bit. Briefly, a QB was on top with Hunter last week but no more. Only four players who weren’t QBs have won the award since 2000, meaning it’s still likely a gunslinger can come away with the trophy. But Hunter now leads and does so late and Colorado has a few games ahead where statpadding might be on the menu. At one point, it looked over for all QBs besides Ward but Gabriel leading the top team in the country has climbed him into the picture. On top of that, Milroe, Rourke and all of a sudden Shedeur Sanders have made pushes to be a stone’s throw from the leaders as well. But Colorado’s quarterback is throwing his support behind Hunter despite leading the Big 12 in competition percentage (72.9) and touchdowns (24.) There’s a chance both Buffaloes players end up in New York, especially if Colorado finish by winning out in the Big 12. At this point, it seems like a four-horse race for the award between Hunter, Gabriel, Ward and Jeanty with the other quarterbacks just vying for a trip to the Big Apple. Rourke’s play for the Hoosiers has gained the most recent momentum.

As for Hunter, there hasn’t been somebody who has seriously played both sides of the ball at this high of a level since Champ Bailey in 1998 and even then it wasn’t as full-time as Hunter. But you can go back just one more year to 1997 for something else—the last and only time in modern college football history that a defender won the award, Charles Woodson. Hunter would be the first full-time defender since Woodson to win it—though Woodson did play a limited amount on offense. Should Hunter take the award home, there hasn’t been a true two-way player score the honor since the legendary Ernie Davis in 1961, who was forced to play both sides due to college football’s archaic limited substitution rule at the time.