Travis Hunter is now the heavy favorite late in the Heisman race

The Colorado Buffaloes are in the driver’s seat in the Big 12, and Travis Hunter is pacing the Heisman race as the do-it-all star from Boulder took a massive lead over the rest of the field this weekend.

Hunter didn’t have his best week against Utah but was still key in Colorado’s 49-24 win over the Utes. And for a player having a down week, Hunter still scored a rushing touchdown and snagged an interception while getting over 50 yards receiving. He flashed the Heisman pose twice in the contest furthering his association with the award for the top player in the nation.

It’s Hunter’s second week in a row topping the charts by himself after taking co-reigns three weeks ago with Miami’s Cam Ward. The Hurricanes’ undefeated season ended last week 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 And Ward’s billing as the top quarterback has been replaced by another gunslinger whose team is having a great year. But all the hipsters are loving the running back from Idaho, who seems to be Hunter’s real competition again.

Hunter is now up to 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns receiving plus another on the ground. While his defense has been highlighted by three interceptions, one forced fumble, eight passes defended and 23 tackles defensively. The first touchdown he allowed to be caught in his area this season came on Saturday against Utah. Hunter, an 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 earlier this month with Dillon Gabriel of Oregon at +260 and now the Buffs odds are way better than anyone else’s.

Now in the second spot is Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries. The reigning Moutain West Offensive Player of the Year has 256 carries this season which is the most in the country, gaining an NCAA-best 1,893 rushing yards while also pacing the country with 26 rushing touchdowns. Jeanty is on pace to beat some pretty wild numbers, the Broncos’ runner will likely become the 30th player to achieve 2,000 rushing yards in a season when he hits the field this week. The all-time mark was set by Barry Sanders in 1998 at Oklahoma State, he went for 2,628 yards. Jeanty will have a shot at the all-time single-season rushing mark.

Gabriel led the No. 1 Ducks past Wisconsin last weekend. Throwing for 218 yards and tossing a pick. Gabriel leads the country with a 73.8 completion percentage, and the Big Ten with 3,066 yards while adding 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 had the weekend off, so Miami’s last game was that loss.

Post-Week 12 Heisman Odds

Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR/CB (-350)
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, RB (+380)
Cam Ward, Miami, QB (+1,300)
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, QB (+2,500)
Jalen Milroe, Alabama, QB (+2,800)
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, QB (3,000)
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, QB (+4,000)
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, QB (+7,500)

It’s 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 two weeks ago 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 another game ahead where statpadding might be on the menu. Meanwhile, Jeanty has a commanding spot in second too, so it might finally be over for the quarterbacks, who made a run at the award last month. Meanwhile Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is a stone’s throw from the leaders as well. But the Buffaloes quarterback is throwing his support behind Hunter despite leading the Big 12 in competition percentage (72.9) and touchdowns (27.) There’s a chance both Buffaloes players end up in New York, especially if Colorado finish by winning the Big 12. At this point, it seems like a two-horse race for the award between Hunter and Jeanty with the quarterbacks just vying for a trip to the Big Apple.

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.