Deion Sanders doesn’t want his Jim Thorpe Award anymore.
Colorado’s head coach, furious that his star player, Travis Hunter, was not named a finalist for the award given each season to the nation’s best defensive back, is going to give it to Hunter instead.
“How Does Travis Hunter Get Snubbed by the Jim Thorpe Award?” Sanders said. “You could get my award, you could get it back. In fact, I’m going to give him mine. I don’t use it. It’s just sitting there collecting dust.
“So Travis could get my Thorpe Award, because if this isn’t the craziest thing in college football, he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and he is, I would say, but I don’t think it really is is.” a discussion about the fact that this young man is the best defensive back in college football.”
Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Georgia safety Malaki Starks were named the three finalists for the award on Tuesday. The winner will be announced on December 12.
Hunter, who plays on both sides of the ball and is also a wide receiver, has totaled 31 tackles and three interceptions this season. By comparison, Barron has 41 total tackles and four interceptions with the Longhorns. Downs has 50 total tackles at Ohio State, and Starks has 55 tackles and one interception with the Bulldogs.
Hunter was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation’s top wide receiver. Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona and Nick Nash of San Jose State were the other two finalists. Hunter has 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on 82 catches so far this season.
Sanders, who is in his second season leading the Buffaloes, won the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award at Florida State.
“I don’t know how on earth Travis Hunter isn’t a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” he said. “They pretty much ruined the entire integrity of the award and he could have mine, whoever votes there, whoever ever takes it home. Thanks, because I don’t even want mine right now.”
Colorado has an 8-3 record heading into Friday’s regular season finale against Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes fell to Kansas last week, likely ending any chance for them to make it to the Big 12 title game. They would need a win this week and at least two other losses elsewhere in the conference to participate.
Both Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are also widely expected to be top picks in the NFL Draft next spring. Although Colorado likely won’t make the College Football Playoff, Sanders insisted both stars will participate in whatever bowl game they make. It will be the program’s first Bowl game since 2020. The Buffaloes haven’t won a bowl game since 2004.
“No, it’s not the last time you’ll see them in a Buffs uniform,” Sanders said. “These two and the rest of the seniors have done a fantastic job of getting us to where we are today, creating so much anticipation among our fans and ourselves.
“So we’re going to fight and try to go out there and kick some ass and end this thing on the right note. And we’re going to go to a bowl game and end this thing on the right note because our fans deserve the absolute best.”
