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Colorado coach Deion Sanders had some fun at Pat McAfee’s expense after ESPN analyst Travis Hunter ranked as the No. 2 favorite Heisman candidate so far this season.
Appearing on College Gameday, McAfee ranked Hunter behind Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, to which Sanders responded by asking, “How can you even fix your mouth to say that?”
To McAfee’s credit, he didn’t retract the statement despite joking that he would change the rating for his conversation with Coach Prime.
There seems to be very little argument against Janty and Hunter as the top two contenders for the award. Jeanty has 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns in five games. He averages 10.9 yards per carry on 95 attempts.
Hunter has become college football’s version of Shohei Ohtani. The Buffaloes star is tied for fourth in the country with 46 receptions, tied for sixth with six touchdowns, and 10th with 561 receiving yards. He also has 16 combined tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions as a cornerback.
In terms of overall size, it’s hard to argue against Hunter as a Heisman front-runner. He averages 124 snaps per game between his contributions on offense and defense.
Jordan Reid @Jordan_Reid
#Colorado Number of picks WR/CB Travis Hunter:
• NDSU: 124 (56 blocks/68 defense)
• Nebraska: 118 (60 blocks/58 defense)
• Colorado St.: 116 (53 blocks/63 defense)
• Baylor: 137 (75 blocks/62 defense)
• UCF: 125 (56 blocks/69 defense)
• Average: 124 shots per game
Rare player.
Hunter could also benefit by playing for a team that has a lot of national recognition. Saturday’s showdown between the Buffaloes and No. 18 Kansas State at Folsom Field is shown on ESPN, albeit at 10:15 PM ET.
Boise State doesn’t get as much attention in national bids, though it is currently ranked No. 17 on the AP’s top 25 programs.
Genty had a great performance in the Broncos’ biggest game of the season so far against No. 3 Oregon. He finished with 25 carries for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the 37-34 loss.
There’s still a long way to go this season, so don’t expect the Heisman debate between these two players to end anytime soon.
