Heisman Winner Hunter Headed For NFL Stardom
Two-way star Travis Hunter is a modern day trailblazer destined for greatness in the NFL.
Volume XXIV Edition LXXXIII || Hunter Headed For NFL Stardom
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ALL-WORLD TALENT HUNTER A TRUE THROWBACK
The illustrious 90th annual Heisman Trophy was presented to Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter on Saturday night, in the closest Heisman race since 2009 (Mark Ingram over Toby Gerhart). While Hunter’s margin of victory over Boise State runner Ashton Jeanty was slim, he has distanced himself as the top player in the Class of 2025 NFL Draft by a mile.
Historically, the Heisman Trophy winner hasn’t always equated to NFL success. In fact, the last Colorado player to take home the bronze trophy statue was the late, great Rashaan Salaam in 1994. The former first round pick lasted just five seasons in the NFL, gaining a little over 1,600 rushing yards for his career. Surprisingly, just nine Heisman winners have gone on to reach the pinnacle of their profession, which is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, Hunter is not built like the others. He’s different.
A transcending talent who dominated on both offense and defense, the Deion Sanders protege has taken an unorthodox approach to the pros. The Florida native spurned Florida State as a five-star recruit out of high school, instead choosing to join Coach Prime at Jackson State. By doing so, he placed HBCU in the spotlight. For their next act, they would take their show out west to the Rocky Mountains, en route to revitalizing the Buffs football program.
The end result? A mantle full of awards, including the Chuck Bednarik Award, Fred Biletnikoff Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, a second Paul Hornung Award and the Lott Trophy, in addition to the Heisman.
Truly a transcending talent, the only question that remains surrounding Hunter, is what will his role be in the NFL?
Surely, most front office operations will view Hunter as a cornerback first due to his elite ball skills, instincts and greater emphasis of value at the position. Will an NFL team be willing to risk playing their pricey new commodity both ways? Perception would tell us that participating in a 17-plus game schedule is a tough proposition to sell. We wouldn’t put it past Hunter to defy the odds. After all, he participated in a remarkable 84% of the Buffaloes snaps this season, playing in high altitude. Although, from a business perspective, reality is, it would be hard to justify.
The most likely scenario is an offensive sub-package that would include Hunter when needed. Blessed with a rare combination of size and quickness, along with elite athleticism, the consensus All-American could make even more history come April.
In the near 90-years of existence, there has never been a cornerback chosen No.1 overall in the NFL Draft. Unthinkable? For Hunter, it’s highly achievable.
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SMALL SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
The kickoff of FCS playoffs is always an excellent weekend to catch up on small school prospects. With just four FBS schools in action on Saturday, NFL scouts turned their attention to some under the radar players in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
One quarterback prospect catching plenty of eyeballs is South Dakota State signal-caller Mark Gronowski (pictured). The Jackrabbits three-year captain was throwing lasers during their 55-14 trouncing of Incarnate Word, completing an efficient 7-of-16 passes, for 176 yards and three touchdowns. He would add an additional two scores via the ground, showcasing his scrambling prowess.
A starter for parts of five seasons, NFL evaluators will value his experience. In addition, Gronowski, possesses great awareness, accuracy and smarts. He can move the chains with his feet when needed but it’s his ability to take deep shots downfield that forces opposing defenses to stay honest. A proven winner, the Illinois native seeks to end his collegiate career with a third national championship. Gronowski is scheduled to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl next month, a great test for him to compete against some top-caliber FBS competition and raise his draft stock.
For those scouts north of the border, Incarnate Word quarterback Zach Calzada flashed a niche skill-set appealing to CFL teams. While the end result wasn’t what he’d like, the 6-foot-3, 238-pound Calzada flashed his ability as a short-yardage specialist, a role that is in demand for the Canadien game. Calzada operated an up-tempo, swarm offense for the Cardinals, which featured a heavy dose of RPO and bubble screens. His overall skill-set would seem to speak to the CFL style of game.
South Dakota tight end JJ Galbreath (pictured) took Saturday afternoon to reintroduce himself to evaluators. The Coyotes receiving threat missed the previous seven weeks due to a shoulder injury but made sure to maximize his opportunities, while playing on a snap count. Galbreath proved to be a red zone mismatch, with two big touchdown grabs during a win over UC Davis. A fearless receiver over the middle, he does a tremendous job selling his fakes and understands how to find the soft spot against zone coverage. He finished with six balls, for 45 yards on the day and is one name worth monitoring during the draft process.
ALL ACCESS FOOTBALL NFL DRAFT QUICK LINKS
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