Deion Sanders surprised Colorado star Travis Hunter isn’t finalist for top DB award: ‘I’ll give him mine’

On By Littum

Deion Sanders won’t have his Jim Thorpe Award anymore.

The Colorado head coach, furious that his star player, Travis Hunter, was not named a finalist for the award given to the best defensive back in the country each season, will give it to Hunter instead.

“How Travis Hunter Gets Denied Jim Thorpe Award?” Sanders said. “You could have my prize, you could have it back. In fact, I’ll give him mine. I don’t use it. It’s just sitting up there gathering dust.

“So Travis could get my Thorpe Award, because if this isn’t the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and he is, I’d say without a doubt, but I don’t think it is a true argument that this young man is the best defensive back in college football.”

Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Georgia safety Malaki Starks were named as the three finalists for the award on Tuesday. The winner will be announced on December 12.

Hunter, who plays on both sides of the ball and is also a wide receiver, has 31 total tackles and three interceptions this season. By comparison, Barron has 41 total tackles and four interceptions with the Longhorns. Downs has 50 total tackles at Ohio State and Starks has 55 tackles and an interception with the Bulldogs.

Hunter was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top wide receiver in the country. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and San Jose State’s Nick Nash were the other two finalists. Hunter has 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on 82 catches so far this season.

Sanders, who is in his second season at the helm of the Buffaloes, won the Jim Thorpe Award at Florida State in 1988.

“I don’t know how on earth Travis Hunter isn’t a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” he said. “They just pretty much messed with the integrity of the award and he could have mine, whoever votes down there, who ever takes it home. Thank you, because I don’t even want mine now.”

Colorado has an 8-3 record heading into Friday’s regular season finale against Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes fell to Kansas last week, likely ending their chance to make the Big 12 title game. They would need a win and at least two other losses elsewhere in the conference this week to qualify.

Both Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are also expected to be top picks in the NFL Draft next spring. While Colorado isn’t likely to make the College Football Playoff, Sanders insisted both stars will participate in whatever bowl game they get to. It will mark the program’s first bowl game since 2020. The Buffaloes have not won a bowl game since 2004.

“No, it’s not the last time you’re going to see them in a Buffs uniform,” Sanders said. “Those two and all the other seniors have done a wonderful job of getting us to where we are and instilling so much anticipation in our fan base and expectations in ourselves.

“So we’re going to fight and try to go out there and kick some ass and end this thing on the right note. And we’re going to go to a bowl game and end this thing on the right note because our fans deserve it absolute best.”