When The Athletic publishes Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” the college football season is mere weeks away from kicking off. There is no shortage of genetic lottery winners to choose from, but with Colorado’s Travis Hunter starring on both sides of the ball, many expected him to feature at No. 1 on the list.
Instead, South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor earned the honor for the second year in a row, the first such occurrence in the list’s 20-year history.
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter Checks in at No. 2 on Feldman’s Freaks List
Hunter isn’t as physically imposing as Harbor, standing 6’1″ and 185 compared to the Gamecock’s 6’5″ and 242. However, while Harbor slowly acclimated to the collegiate level, culminating in 12 receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown, Hunter was dominating on both sides of the ball.
The Buffaloes’ two-way star played 1,102 total snaps (475 on offense, 631 on defense), including two games with over 150 and three more with over 120. But Hunter doesn’t just have generational stamina — he used his effortless athleticism and body control to corral 57 catches for 721 yards and five TDs while breaking up eight passes and intercepting three.
There’s a reason he was viewed as the No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of high school and why it was such a big deal when he spurned blueblood programs for Deion Sanders and Jackson State in 2022.
With the Tigers, Hunter flashed his two-way potential, generating an 18-188-4 receiving line, 10 PBUs, and two INTs, earning SWAC Freshman of the Year honors as well as being named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman player in FCS football.
In Hunter’s Freaks list writeup, Fledman noted that “Coaches have described him as a unicorn for the seemingly effortless way he can handle insane workloads and still make big plays for the Buffs. … Hunter has elite ball skills and a great feel for the game, knowing where the holes are on a defense. He’s so high up on this list because of his unique motor.
“Hunter won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player in 2023. … Reel Analytics gauged Hunter’s max speed on a touchdown-saving chase-down against TCU at 21.2 mph. On Hunter’s 81st snap of that game in near 100-degree heat in Texas, he displayed a closing speed of 6.9 yards per second on his diving red-zone interception against TCU midway through the third quarter. That 6.9 YPS was the second-fastest time on record for nearly 8,400 defensive backs in the Reel Analytics database.”
KEEP READING: 2024 All-American College Football Preseason Team and Individual Honors
Oh, and while Hunter handled both offenses and defenses all season, he also handled his work in the classroom, earning a 4.0 GPA for the fall semester.
Despite not claiming the top spot on Feldman’s Freaks List, Hunter’s remarkable two-way performance and unmatched versatility solidify his status as one of college football’s most extraordinary talents heading into the 2024 season.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top 10 returning players, the 2024 college football season schedule, and much more!