Colorado Buffs dual threat Travis Hunter is hands down one of the exceptional players of this season. And this season, Travis is constantly making headlines, either for his gameplay or exceptional track records. However, his recent claim of being a top contender for the Heisman Trophy over Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who is actually leading the charts with +175 odds, is putting him in a weird position.

On 16th October, sports analyst Joel Klatt on The Joel Klatt Show: College Football Podcast gave football team rankings to the non-power 5 teams in the game. However, it turned out to be a subtle slap to Travis Hunter’s earlier Heisman superiority claim over Ashton Jeanty as Boise State gets second rank by him. Joel said, “The number two non-Power Five team, I think, is Boise State. Ashton Jeanty continues to play great football. They’re 5-1; he’s averaging over 200 yards per game; he’s been sensational.” Well, not only did he appreciate Ashton’s gameplay, but also supported the team.

A few days back on the Outta podcast, Travis Hunter made a blunt claim over Ashton Jeanty, saying he has not done something new, saying, “I mean, y’all see Ashton Jeanty; it’s not like we haven’t seen a running back that’s good.” Travis also claimed that he should be in the top Heisman contenders rank in Jeanty’s place, mentioning his track records. “He had 95 carries for 1,000 yards; if I had 95 catches, how many yards do you think I’d have?” But all of this went into vain after Joel Klatt gave an edge to Boise State in his team rankings.

Meanwhile, talking about the top 5 Big 12 teams, Joel Klatt gave fourth rank to the Colorado Buffs and even praised their performance against the Wildcats last week, saying, “Colorado, even shorthanded, and I know that Kansas State had injuries as well, but even shorthanded, had a great chance to beat Kansas State.” Klatt even talked about the reason the Buffs had a hard time playing against Kansas as they lost key players like Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. to injury. No one doubts Hunter’s abilities. But him making diminishing remarks about other players is something that has put him in a tough spot as everyone is pointing out his uncalled behavior.

Travis Hunter vs Ashton Jeanty: Stat Check

No one can make peace with the two-way star Travis Hunter’s increasing obsession with winning the Heisman while taking shots at other contenders. But let us have a fact-check. Here are some stats that may speak louder than anyone’s words. It looks like more or less everyone agrees with Travis Hunter’s underlying emotions regarding his statement on Ashton Jeanty, but pointing out his shortcomings even after being in a position where Jeanty holds a better track record than him is something that’s coming off pretty weird.

Ashton Jeanty has rushed 126 times, running for 1248 yards with 17 touchdowns, which is more than enough to justify why he is being given a top rank in the Heisman Trophy race. On the other hand, Buffs two-way star Travis Hunter has scored 57 receptions for 721 yards with five touchdowns, which is also impressive. Both the players are doing really well in terms of gameplay, but Hunter’s takeover of the whole Heisman ranks was surprising, as he should have at least done some fact-checking before making such big claims. Will Travis be able to reclaim his top Heisman-worthy status in the upcoming game against the Arizona Wildcats this Saturday, or will he rely on vague claims once again?