"They've got to stop that": Deion Sanders issues stern warning to Heisman voters while Travis Hunter's case intensifies

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has watched Heisman favorite Travis Hunter up close all season. Though he does not intend to advocate for any of his players to win the honor, following Colorado's (8-2) 49-24 victory against Utah on Saturday, he said that he does not want hatred for him to interfere with Hunter's Heisman case.

When asked about a message he had for Heisman voters after another strong performance from Hunter, Sanders said:

"I ain't gonna sit up here and give no message to no Heisman voters that are undecided. If they can't see, they can't see. It is what it is. I mean Travis is who he is. It's supposed to go to the best college football player. I think that's been a wrap since what, Week 2? So, we ain't petitioning for nobody, we ain't doing that.

"We've got a wonderful display of cameras here and I think we're on national television every week. If they can't see it, there's a problem. Don't allow their hatred for me to interfere with out kids' success. They've got to stop that. Y'all got to stop that. Give the kids what they deserve man. I had my turn. I played 14 years. You had 14 years to hate me, now let it go."

How likely is it that Travis Hunter will win the Heisman Trophy?

More often than not, the Heisman Trophy goes to a quarterback. The last time a non-quarterback won was wide receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020. Before that, it was running back Derrick Henry in 2015. As a result, Hunter had that positional bias going against him in the race.

So far, Hunter has established himself as the favorite with only a few weeks left in the 2024 football season. He was a betting favorite heading into this week, and now he has widened the margin more significantly.

His only competition for the award according to FanDuel is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. These are the top five contenders, according to FanDuel.

1. Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter (-330)
2. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+350)
3. Miami QB Cam Ward (+1400)
4. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+2500)
5. Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke (+3000)