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Deion Sanders: I Thought Travis Hunter Could Win Heisman After 1st JSU Practice

Timothy Rapp

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders told reporters on Tuesday that he realized Travis Hunter had a Heisman Trophy in his future from his very first practice three years ago at Jackson State.

"When he went out there at receiver and did his thing, then went from receiver to defensive back and shut it down. I knew right then it was something special," he said (4:20 mark). "It's one thing to watch highlights of a young man in high school, it's another to see it in person. And when you know the game, you know athleticism, you know what I know, you come where I come from—you know when you see something that is abnormal. This kid, from day one, has been abnormal with an appetite to dominate."

Hunter's 2024 season has been the stuff of legends—92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense and 31 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed and one forced fumble on defense.

Almost every conceivable award followed, with Hunter earning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award (college player of the year), Biletnikoff Award (best receiver) and the Bednarik Award (best defensive player).

More importantly, Colorado went from 4-8 in Sanders' first year as the head coach in 2023 to a 9-3 record this season, the No. 20 ranking to close the year and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against BYU on Saturday, Dec. 28.

Yes, the Buffaloes blew the chance to reach the Big 12 Championship Game—which would have given them a chance at the College Football Playoff—by losing to Kansas on Nov. 23. But the 2024 season was nonetheless a resounding success.

As for Hunter's personal success, he attributed a ton of it to the coaching of Sanders and the quarterback play of Shedeur Sanders.

"Coach Prime, Shedeur, y'all changed my life forever," he said during his Heisman speech.

"Coach Prime told me this journey would be bigger than anything before," he added. "He believed in me, not just as a player but as a person."

That faith was more than rewarded.

   

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