Two-way star Travis Hunter is a key player in Colorado. No wonder he’s wanted everywhere, especially by Deion Sanders. But with more exposure comes more possibilities for injuries and fans’ worst fears came true when he suffered a right shoulder injury in Week 7 against Kansas State. Still, he briefly appeared again in Week 8 against Arizona. But with rumors about the Buffs HC exploiting his star player swirling around, his latest update on Hunter is stirring more controversy. 

On October 23, BuffsTV uploaded a video of Deion Sanders during his weekly conference speech. When he was asked about the status of Travis Hunter, he delivered a positive update that his star was feeling better than last week. He said, “I think he’ll have more productivity because he’s feeling much better than last week… I think he will certainly contribute a lot more than he did a week ago because he’s healthier.”

In last week’s game against Arizona, Travis Hunter left the game after the first half with an aggravated shoulder injury. He recorded two receptions for 17 yards. As reported by Fox, this exit is a precautionary measure to maintain the health of their star player. He returned to the sidelines in the second half in street clothes. But how did Travis Hunter end up in this situation in the first place? 

Believe it or not, Travis Hunter was playing almost 100% of the snaps on both offense and defense when he entered Week 7. Deion Sanders faced the pressure from the public for letting Hunter play 120+ snaps in the first five games. Even in the Week 7 game, Hunter played 44 of 45 snaps before he got injured and exited. But is Deion Sanders to be blamed for Hunter’s misfortunes?

Travis Hunter is fighting his fight

It’s good news that Travis Hunter is feeling better. But do you think he should be playing like a healthy player? In his last two games, Hunter only played 77 snaps due to his injury. Is Deion Sanders making another mistake in expecting better productivity from him in the next game? Sure, Colorado could suffer a huge blow if something worse were to happen to Hunter again, and it could come on the HC’s head. But what we also need to consider is that Travis Hunter’s Heisman race is at stake.

Following his injury, Hunter’s odds of winning the Heisman Trophy decreased. Previously, he had been considered the second favorite, trailing only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. But now, a missed game will wipe him off of the race and that’s not what Hunter would have wanted. After all, the two-way star is known for his resilience and determination. Remember last season when he pleaded with Deion Sanders to put him back in the game after his lacerated liver injury and the HC refused for his safety? Well, we need to assess both sides before hurling one-sided blame at a single party.