Travis Hunter's Colorado football season can dwarf Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey's two-way campaigns

Travis Hunter's two-way dominance was on full display during Deion Sanders' Colorado football program's 31-26 victory over North Dakota State on August 29. After a touchdown hat-trick through the air and allowing three catches for 18 yards in man-coverage, Hunter entered the Heisman race -- for as long as the Buffs can maintain a respectable record, at least -- and put the world on notice with his showing against the Bison.

So much so, that some of the sport's all-time legends at his formerly primary position (CB), Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey, are being used to illustrate how good Hunter already is.

"Hunter is the best player in college football, a true two-way player that the sport has not seen in over a half-century," Saturday Blitz's Josh Yourish wrote. "Sure, there have been Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson who both did it at a high level, and more recently Jabrill Peppers and Myles Jack took snaps on the offensive side, but in Woodson’s best offensive season, he caught 11 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in 1997. Hunter caught three touchdowns on Thursday night. 

"Bailey came the closest to preparing us for a full season of Travis Hunter, catching 47 passes for 744 yards and five touchdowns in 1998 while recording 52 tackles and three interceptions. Still, Hunter’s production, if he can stay healthy as a full-time starter at wide receiver and cornerback, will dwarf that legendary season and regardless of Colorado’s record by year’s end, the voters will be forced to send him to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist."

Travis Hunter getting chance to shine on both sides of the ball because he's with Colorado football

Woodson was a Michigan Wolverine and Bailey a Georgia Bulldog. Those programs would never, in a million years, allow a player to be on the field for all but two snaps in a given game.

That's the Deion difference for Hunter at both Colorado and previously Jackson State.

The "Prime Time" spotlight has extended to Shedeur Sanders, who has free reign over the offense even late in games, and Hunter since the start of the 2022 season. And 2021 for Shedeur before that.

With it has come narrative victories that took two players from a Pac-12 bottom-dweller and the SWAC into conversations for the No. 1 overall 2025 NFL draft pick.

Hunter wouldn't get the chance to compete for a Heisman and catch passes from a fellow Heisman candidate elsewhere.