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Keeping it local probably never looked so cool.
Denver Broncos Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton and 2-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II both sent clear messages on who they think should win the Heisman Trophy ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 in Denver.
Both players showed up wearing gear featuring the Heisman campaign for University of Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter — “HE12MAN” — with Sutton wearing a hoodie on his way into the game and Surtain wearing a t-shirt during warmups. Boulder, Colorado, is approximately 30 miles northwest of Denver.
“Pat Surtain & Courtland Sutton pulled up reppin Travis Hunter Heisman shirts,” wrote DJ Murk City on his official X account. “This man Travis Hunter got WR1 & CB1 on the Broncos to rep his Colorado Heisman merch on Primetime TV with Prime as his head coach … ”
While Hunter might seem like he’s in a close race for the Heisman with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, oddsmakers view the race much differently — the latest odds for the Heisman on FanDuel have Hunter at -10000 and Jeanty at +2000 on December 2.
Heisman finalists will be announced on December 9, with the trophy ceremony annoucing the winner on December 14 in New York.
Hunter No Stranger to Making Historical Moves
Hunter is no stranger to making history wherever he’s been.
Coming out of Collins High School in Suwanee, Georgia, in 2022. Hunter was the No. 1 recruit in the nation according to 247Sports and Rivals, but turned his back on big-time college football and flipped his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders.
Hunter played his first season of college football at Jackson State and was SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2022, then followed Sanders to Colorado and was a consensus All-American and the Paul Hornung Award winners as the nation’s most versatile player in 2023.
After going 4-8 in 2023 — Colorado went 1-11 in 2022 — Hunter helped lead the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record in 2024 by once again dominating on both sides of the ball.
As a cornerback, Hunter has 31 tackles, 4 interceptions, 11 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. As a wide receiver, he has 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Pair of Buffs Projected as Top 2 Picks in ’25 NFL Draft
Hunter and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders are on a path that could see them become just the fourth pair of teammates selected 1-2 in the NFL draft and the first to do it since Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown and Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington in the 2000 NFL draft.
PFF’s latest mock draft released on December 2 has Hunter going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick and Sanders going to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 2 overall pick.
“With Walker Little’s contract extension, the Jaguars are no longer in dire need of an offensive tackle at the top of the draft, giving them the flexibility to select the best player available,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “In our estimation, that player is the two-way phenom Travis Hunter. Hunter has been nothing short of exceptional, earning the second-highest coverage grade among FBS cornerbacks and boasting the fifth-highest grade among wide receivers. The ideal approach would be to play Hunter as a full-time cornerback while incorporating occasional reps at wide receiver each week.”
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