Is Travis Hunter playing today? Colorado WR's availability for Week 8 explored

Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter was unavailable for the second half of last Saturday's game against Kansas State. As a result, the number 17-ranked Wildcats (5-1) were able to narrowly defeat the Buffaloes (4-2) 31-28. Fortunately for Colorado, Travis Hunter should be good to go today.

Travis Hunter injury update

Head coach Deion Sanders did not leave much room for questions when he commented on Hunter's status at his weekly news conference. When asked about Hunter's status, he said:

"Travis should play for certain on Saturday."

That is incredibly good news for the Colorado Buffaloes as they look to regain their positive momentum following the loss to Kansas State. With the wide receiver available for Colorado, the Buffaloes are in a much better position to defeat its upcoming opponent - the Arizona Wildcats (3-3) - on Saturday, Oct. 19.

What happened to Travis Hunter?

Hunter left Saturday's loss to Kansas State with a right shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Before leaving the game, Hunter played 23 snaps on offense and 21 on defense. He had three receptions for 26 yards on offense and a tackle on defense. It could have been a different result if Hunter stayed on till the end of the game.

When will Travis Hunter return?

Although Hunter could not return for Colorado's game against Kansas State, he will return today for the Buffaloes' matchup against Arizona. Hunter is a key piece of both Colorado's offense and defense.

Through the season's first six games, Hunter has led the team with 49 receptions for 587 yards and six touchdowns. He is also a significant asset on defense, with 16 tackles, 11 of which were solo efforts. Additionally, he has two interceptions, which he has returned for a combined 38 yards.

Not missing any significant time is also a big help to Hunter's Heisman Trophy case. Despite missing half of Saturday's game against Kansas State, he still has the third-best odds of winning the Heisman, according to FanDuel. The sportsbook gives him +600 odds of winning the award. That is down slightly from the previous week because he did not get to play the whole game.

Hunter ranks behind Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with +230 odds, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel with +260 odds. Before the injury, Hunter was second in odds, behind only Jeanty.