Two-time star Travis Hunter’s Heisman campaign had lost some steam lately. Hunter left Colorado’s Oct. 12 loss to Kansas State early with a shoulder injury, then sat out the second half of a win last week at Arizona to deal with that same issue. But Saturday night against Cincinnati, Hunter quickly reminded everyone why he’s such a special player during a 34-23 win at Colorado.

A look at his performance:

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Stat line vs. Cincinnati

Nine catches for 153 yards and two TDs; two tackles, four pass breakups

Hunter did most of his damage before halftime, as Colorado chewed up the clock for large parts of the second half to maintain a multi-score lead.

However, with this performance, Hunter now has 757 receiving yards on the season – 36 more than last season. Colorado has four games remaining on its regular season schedule.

Travis Hunter’s Heisman campaign has stalled in recent weeks following his shoulder injury.

He’s filing another case against Cincinnati tonight.

I caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Also broke up two passes.

— David Ubben (@davidubben) October 27, 2024

Snap count

130 total snaps (68 offense, 62 defense)

Despite showing up at several points Saturday night playing at less than 100 percent, Hunter was still on the field for all but three of Colorado’s offensive and defensive snaps — calling for one play after being awkwardly dragged down (and had a pass interference flag drawn) on a 34-yard reception in the fourth quarter, followed by Colorado’s two kneeldowns to end the game.

Before his injury against Kansas State, Hunter had averaged 124 snaps per game, so this performance put him back in line with that number.

Signature moment

Make your choice. Hunter posted seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns before halftime, and both scores were electrifying.

The first will be all over the highlights for Hunter’s backflip, Spider-Man celebration:

Travis Hunter makes it look easy 😮‍💨@TravisHunterJr X #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/aNjTbC8TZT

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 27, 2024

What you can’t see in the clip above is how Hunter found himself so wide open. Standing wide to QB Shedeur Sanders’ left on second-and-goal from the Cincinnati 3, Hunter broke off a nasty release, faltered with a shoulder fake at the goal line and then aborted his route to the back of the end zone. It all happened in the blink of an eye and gave Sanders an easy target.

Later, Sanders and Hunter connected for a 34-yard touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half. Once again lined up off the ball, Hunter found space behind the second level of Cincinnati’s zone coverage, and Sanders delivered a deep ball to him despite absorbing a QB hit right up the middle.

ANOTHER TD FOR TRAVIS HUNTER 😤 pic.twitter.com/qWxfhdLMPH

— ESPN (@espn) October 27, 2024

Cincinnati had no answers for Sanders either. He finished 25 of 30 passing for 323 yards and two touchdowns, and he added a rushing touchdown.

What it means

Hunter moved up to No. 1 overall in Nick Baumgardner’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft The Athletics earlier this month. If The Athletics‘s Dane Brugler, however, wrote after Hunter’s early exit from the Kansas State game: “The number of snaps (Hunter) plays per game has scouts crossing their fingers that the extra exposure won’t lead to injuries.” That problem caught up with Hunter last season, and it struck again (against Kansas State). He is a whisker standing over 6 feet tall, but only weighs 180 pounds and has a very lean muscular body, and he is not shy about playing physical and throwing his body around. His play and heavy workload invite wear and tear.”

Barring a serious, long-term injury, Hunter’s otherworldly talent will offset many of those durability questions — especially if NFL teams are only eyeing him to play wide receiver or cornerback, and not to double as he has done for Colorado.

Still, it was important to Hunter’s Heisman push, his draft stock and the hopes of Colorado as a whole that he get back on the field and look like his usual self. He did that on Saturday evening.

Required reading

(Photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)