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Colorado Buffaloes' Heisman Trophy Winner Travis Hunter Drafted By Jacksonville At No. 2 Overall

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Football

The Colorado Buffaloes' Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, become the highest drafted cornerback and second-highest drafted wide receiver in NFL history.

Matching the highest draft pick in CU history alongside Bo Matthews (No. 2 overall to the San Diego Chargers in 1974), Hunter is just the fourth top 5 pick in CU history also joining Byron White (No.4 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1938) and Michael Westbrook (No. 4 to the Washington Redskins in 1995). 

Hunter became the most decorated player in college football history last year being named the consensus national player of the year by winning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award and both the AP and Sporting News Player of the Year honors.  He was also repeated as the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) while winning the Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy as national defensive player of the year and the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver regardless of position.  

One of only three college football players to win eight major awards, he was also a unanimous first-team All-American, earning seven first-team (and eight overall) honors from the five publications the NCAA uses to determine unanimous and consensus honors.  He is the first player in the history of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation's oldest, to earn two first-team honors, and is the first known player to earn two first-team and three overall honors on the AP team.  The other publications three only allow mention at one position.  

Also a high scholar athlete, he was named first-team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators was named the Academic All-American of the Year, just the second in school history, for all of Division I Football, and is a two-time member of CU's 4.0 club. 

He finished his junior season with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, setting new CU records for receiving touchdowns while finishing second in receptions and third in receiving yards.  He set a CU record with eight 100-yard games and led CU in scoring with 96 points, 16 touchdowns (one rushing).  On defense, he had 36 tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass breakups, leading the FBS with 1,483 snaps which included 86.8% of offensive and 82.9% of defensive snaps for CU.  PFF graded him at 89.7 for receivers, the best in the Power 4 with 500-plus snaps, and he was one of only two defensive players to grade out over 90 percent in coverage at the P4 level. 

Hunter finished his CU career with 153 receptions for 1,989 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding a rushing touchdown for 21 total scores on offense, and with 67 tackles, seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups and a force fumble on defense.  He played an astonishing 2,625 snaps in two seasons despite missing what amounted to almost five games due to injury, leading the FBS in snaps in both 2023 and '24.  

CU x Jacksonville Jaguars Notes 

  • Hunter is the third player from CU drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the first since WR Laviska Shenault in 2020. 
  • He is the second cornerback and second wide receiver selected by Jacksonville.  CB Chris Hudson (3rd round, 71st pick, 1995) and Shenault (2nd round, 42nd pick, 2020) are the only other two players drafted by the Jaguars out of CU.  

CU x First Round Draft Pick Notes

  • Hunter is the highest-drafted cornerback in NFL history, and the second defensive back to be taken with the second pick, joining S Eric Turner, also by Cleveland, in 1991. 
  • He is the second-highest wide receiver ever drafted, matching Calvin Johnson as the No. 2 pick (Detroit, 2007) and only behind Keyshawn Johnson (New York Jets, 1996). 
  • Hunter is CU's second No. 2 overall pick joining Bo Matthews (San Diego Chargers, 1974), and just the fourth top 5 pick in CU history, the other two being Byron White (No. 4, Pittsburgh, 1938) and Michael Westbrook (No. 4, Washington, 1995). 
  • He is the 25th first round pick in CU history and the 26th player that played at Colorado that was drafted in the first round, and the 33rd player from CU drafted in the top 32 picks of a draft.  
  • He is the highest drafted wide receiver and cornerback in CU history, topping WR Michael Westbrook (No. 4, Washington, 1995) and CB Mark Haynes (No. 8, New York Giants, 1980). 
  • He is the third cornerback taken in the first round from CU, joining Deon Figures (No. 23, Pittsburgh, 1993) and Jimmy Smith (No. 27, Baltimore, 2011).  Christian Gonzales, who started his career at CU before transferring to Oregon, as the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by New England. 
  • He is the fourth receiver taken out of CU in the first round, joining Westbrook, Mike Pritchard (No. 13, Atlanta, 1991) and Rae Carruth (No. 27, Carolina, 1997). 
  • Jacksonville becomes the 18th NFL franchise to draft a CU player in the first round. 

CU x Overall Draft Pick Notes

  • Hunter is the 277th player from CU drafted overall and the 287th player that played at CU that was drafted, the other 10 transferring out of CU prior to being drafted. 
  • Hunter is the 21st wide receiver to be drafted out of CU.  
  • Hunter is the 23rd cornerback to be drafted out of CU. 
  • Hunter is the 12th underclassmen to be drafted out of CU as all 12 underclassmen that declare for the draft have now been drafted, and the third underclassmen to be drafted in the first round.