Travis Hunter's Heisman race meets Stephen A. Smith's approval after Week 5 domination: "This brother is special"

College football fans are running out of superlatives to describe Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter after another scintillating performance during the Buffaloes' 48-21 win over the UCF Knights in Week 5 action. The Buffs were two-touchdown underdogs, but the combination of quarterback Shedeur Sanders' brilliance and Hunter's decisiveness ended up overpowering the Knights on Saturday.

Hunter registered 88 yards on nine receptions, resulting in one touchdown while adding two tackles and a daring interception, after which he struck the Heisman pose.

During Monday's episode of ESPN's "First Take," outspoken analyst Stephen A. Smith revealed his opinion on the talk about Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy this season.

“I want to be on the record saying this,” Smith said. “I think that Travis Hunter should be the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, I really do. On both sides of the ball, this brother is special. He’s a playmaker on both sides of the ball, a difference-maker on both sides of the ball. He can be a lockdown defender when you ask him to as well.

"From the cornerback position, the brother’s spectacular. And it’s so ironic that his coach is ‘Primetime’ Deion Sanders because he was one of the brothers that could do that on both the collegiate and professional level, obviously in his Hall of Fame career. That’s what Travis Hunter brings to the table.”

Hunter is currently No. 3 on the Heisman odds rankings (+750), just behind Miami's Cam Ward and Alabama's Jalen Milroe.

Travis Hunter tabbed as the best player in college football

Travis Hunter has backed up his two-way status this season and has registered 561 yards on 46 receptions, resulting in six touchdowns. His performances have left both fans and analysts stunned.

During an episode of "First Take," Stephen A. Smith picked Hunter as the best player in the country over standouts like his teammate Shedeur Sanders and Alabama Crimson Tide's dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe.

“The brother’s spectacular,” Smith reiterated. “[Colorado’s] Shedeur Sanders is going to be one of the top quarterbacks picked in the NFL Draft. He should be. But the best player on this team is Travis Hunter, maybe the best player in the country.

“And by the way, I’m giving him the edge over (Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe) right now, at this particular moment in time.”

The last time a non-quarterback player won the Heisman Trophy was former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who took home the prestigious award in 2020. It remains to be seen whether Hunter's brilliance will lead to him bucking that trend this season.