This was a special weekend of football that folks up in Colorado just experienced. The Buffaloes (6-2) became bowl eligible for the first time since 2020 after beating Cincinnati (5-3) in their backyard in Boulder, 34-23. The occasion was accentuated by Travis Hunter returning to full fitness and right into his two-way escapades. As the college sensation looks ahead to life in the pros, there is something in the past he wishes he could alter the outcome of.

Travis has everything, quite literally. The man rolls up to Folsom Field coming off a shoulder injury he suffered against Kansas State in Week 7 and proceeds to drop a masterclass on both ends. He took 2 touchdowns to the end-zone, garnered 153 yards on offense, and broke up 4 passes on defense. His HC, Deion Sanders, crowned him “the best football player in the country” post-game. But fans know that the title belongs to a certain Patrick Mahomes who is up in Kansas City for the foreseeable future. Hunter will perhaps attest to that after what he did to his beloved San Francisco 49ers not once but twice.

In a Fan Q&A posted on The Travis Hunter Show on YouTube, the 21-year-old was asked, “What makes him a 49ers fan?”. “I grew up a 49ers fan bro, my family [are] just all 49ers fans. What else was I [going to] say, I want to be a different fan [laughs]? All I see on the TV is [the] 49ers” he replied. The conversation then moved to last season’s Super Bowl. Travis, smiling through the painful memories of that fateful night, said, “I was waiting for the moment for us to whoop them, bro”.

The underlying theme of this phase of the conversation was how Mahomes has denied the man who has it all his one desire to see his team win the Lombardi. Mahomes led a scoring drive in overtime of the Super Bowl after the Niners’ offense left the field leading. That’s how close they were last year. The trauma lives on in Travis’ heart as he stands on the precipice of the big league himself.

At the end of this season, Travis will be draft-eligible and is a consensus first-round pick. As he steps into the NFL, he will look to face his demons and reciprocate some damage to Patrick. Interestingly, he suggests he does not want to do so in the red and white of the Niners.

Who does Travis Hunter wish to play for in the NFL?

A little over a year ago, Travis hosted the first episode of his now-defunct talk show, 12 Talks. There, he openly stated he would like to stay in Colorado and play for the Broncos when the time came. While he remains a Niners fan at heart, the state of Colorado has become a part of his fabric now as he captures the imagination of Buffs fans every weekend. He will hope he can continue defying the norm which makes him so special.

The clamor for Travis Hunter, when he enters the Draft, is going to be unprecedented. Every team would jump at the opportunity of having him on their roster. But there’s still work for him to do in Boulder.  Wherever Travis ends up, one thing is for certain. Tickets to his games are going to be the hottest commodity in the country. Such is his star power. 

Add to that, a possible Heisman? Can you imagine the hype? Well, we see that thing sees the light of the day.