USATSI
According to ESPN’s broadcast, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter was rushed to a local hospital during the Buffaloes’ 43-35 victory over rival Colorado State on Saturday night. Hunter, who plays both wide receiver and cornerback for the No. 18 Buffs, made an early impression in the Heisman Trophy race with his performance in the first two games of the season after first-year coach Deion Sanders of Jackson State , was followed.
While playing wide receiver, Hunter suffered a violent hit from Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn in the first quarter of the game and remained down on the field to receive the coaches’ attention. Blackburn received an unnecessary roughness penalty. Hunter eventually returned to the game after the hit and made one tackle in the second quarter before leaving the game for good.
It was not immediately clear whether Blackburn’s goal was responsible for Hunter’s exit, but it provided an early flashpoint in a contest already fraught with tension. CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders came face-to-face with Blackburn after the hit on Hunter’s defense.
Ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, Hunter stunned college football by choosing Jackson State over Sanders, turning down a long-time commitment to Florida State. He has developed a close relationship with Sanders, who played both offense and defense during his college football career.
While Hunter’s durability as a two-way player logging more than 100 snaps per game has been questioned, Sanders has found that his experience in a similar role makes him uniquely equipped to handle Hunter’s workload.