It’s safe to say that Travis Hunter means more to the Colorado Buffaloes than any non-QB means to his team across the entire country. In fact, Hunter may mean more than even most QBs do for their respective teams.
So when Hunter’s status is in question, it’s fair to question the Buffaloes as a team. Here’s the latest information at hand about what Hunter’s status should be for their Week 9 matchup against Cincinnati.
What Happened to Travis Hunter?
Back on October 12, the TV broadcast cut to Hunter walking into the locker room against Kansas State with an athletic trainer holding his helmet. While no immediate play was shown as the result, it should be noted that two different times earlier in the action, it was apparent that Hunter came up a bit slow from hits on the defensive side of the ball.
The official word from the sidelines was that Hunter was suffering from right shoulder pain and was being taken into the locker room to examine his shoulder and right arm.
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Hunter was shown previously in the game, shaking off his arm and even waving his potential replacement — Omarion Miller — off the field so he could stay on it. However, during a second-quarter drive from Kansas State, Hunter finally succumbed to the pain and exited the field.
When it came down to it, Hunter was said to simply have a ‘shoulder injury’ and his status for their game against Arizona was in question when he didn’t practice all week in the lead-up to their win over the Wildcats.
Will Travis Hunter Play Offense and Defense In Week 9?
Known for his prowess on both sides of the field, Hunter routinely plays over 100 snaps in each Colorado game. However, in Week 8 against Arizona, Hunter was held to just two receptions and played sparingly overall, far fewer snaps on defense than normal.
That wasn’t necessarily by design, according to head coach Deion Sanders, but more because of how he felt during the game.
“Travis is better than last week,” Coach Prime said. “I certainly think he will contribute a lot more than he did a week ago because he’s healthier.”
“The first fade we threw to him, he couldn’t extend and go get it. He kind of reacted late. That’s not Travis. I said, ‘Man, that’s not you. What are you doing? Are you OK?’ He didn’t want to come off the field.”
In the end, Hunter caught two passes for 17 yards and played a season-low total snaps.
Through six games this season, Hunter has brought down 51 receptions for 604 yards and six touchdowns. That’s in addition to his three pass breakups, two interceptions, and 12 total tackles on defense.
His two-way prowess is unmatched in college football nowadays and his one-of-a-kind play will be missed no matter how long he’s out for with this potential shoulder injury.
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At this point, it’s safe to say following Sanders’ comments, that we’ll see more of Hunter against Cincinnati in Week 9. Just how much, however, it appears we do not know.
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