CU Buffs stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders make finalist list for multiple awards – Boulder Daily Camera

As Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders continue to etch their names all over Colorado’s record book, they are being honored like few Buffs before them.

On Tuesday, the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) announced finalists for several awards, including Colorado’s two biggest stars.

Hunter, a junior cornerback/receiver, was named one of three finalists for the Bednarik, Biletnikoff, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards. Sanders, the Buffs’ senior quarterback, was named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award.

Hunter and Sanders helped the resurgent, 23rd-ranked Buffs (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) fight for the conference title. CU hosts Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8) in the regular-season finale on Friday at Folsom Field (10 a.m., ABC).

The Maxwell Award is presented by the Maxwell Football Club for the college player of the year and has been presented annually since 1937. Hunter is CU’s first finalist since 1994, when Rashaan Salaam finished second. No Buff has ever won the Maxwell.

The Walter Camp Award is a Player of the Year award presented by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. It has been awarded annually since 1967 and Hunter is only CU’s second finalist, joining Salaam, who won the award in 1994.

No Buff has ever won the Biletnikoff Award, given annually since 1994 to the nation’s best receiver. Hunter is only the second CU receiver to make it to the final round, joining Rae Carruth in 1996.

Hunter could also become the first CU player to win the Bednarik Award, given annually to the defensive player of the year since 1995. He is CU’s first finalist.

Sanders could become CU’s first-ever winner of the Davey O’Brien Award, which has honored the nation’s top quarterback since 1981. Sanders is only CU’s second finalist, joining Darian Hagan, who was runner-up for the award in 1989.

Sanders was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards.

Hunter, who is the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, was previously announced as a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award. Hunter was the winner of the 2023 Hornung Award, which goes to the most versatile player in the country, and he is aiming to become the first two-time winner.

The finalists for the Heisman, the most prestigious player of the year award, will be announced on December 9th.

Although Hunter is a finalist for several awards, he surprisingly failed to make the cut for the Thorpe Award, which has recognized the country’s best defensive player since 1986.

CU head coach Deion Sanders won the Thorpe Award in 1988 and wasn’t happy when he found out Hunter didn’t make it.

“How? How does Travis Hunter get snubbed by the Jim Thorpe Award?” said Coach Prime. “You could have my award. You can have it back. In fact, I’ll give him mine. I don’t use it. It just sits up there collecting dust . So Travis can get my Thorpe Award because if that isn’t the most idiotic thing in college football, then he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

“I don’t think there’s really an argument that this young man is the best defensive back in college football. … I don’t know how in the world Travis Hunter can’t be a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. They just really messed up the integrity of the award, and he could have mine.”

Injury report

Colorado should get some players back from injury this week.

Coach Prime said he expects defensive lineman Shane Cokes and defensive lineman Preston Hodge to be back in the mix. Cokes has missed the last three games due to injury, while Hodge has missed the last two.

Running back Isaiah Augustave, who suffered an injury after Saturday’s loss at Kansas, is also expected to be back.

Coach Prime said the Buffs have “an outside chance” to get receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. back after he missed all but five of the last three games.

On the other hand, right tackle Phillip Houston and defensive lineman Amari McNeill are out this week.

Remarkable

On Tuesday, CU defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was named one of 65 nominees for the Broyles Award, which honors the best assistant coach in college football. … Social media has been buzzing in recent days over what appeared to be a cheap shot by Kansas defenseman Dean Miller on Shedeur last Saturday. Coach Prime said KU reached out this week. “He and Shedeur will talk because he will apologize and Shedeur will accept it,” Coach Prime said. “I know this because Shedeur is not upset about it. So let’s not make a big deal out of something that happened in the heat of the moment. I know what it looked like. I know what it looked like, but the guy is trying to play something. He’ll play along, but they’ll communicate with each other, so there’s no hard feelings.”

Originally published: November 26, 2024 at 10:09 am MST