Travis Hunter All But Clinches the Heisman Trophy, While Dillon Gabriel Plays His Way Out

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dale Bliss | Last updated Nov 17, 2024 6:43 AM ET

At FanDuel this morning Colorado two-way wonder Travis Hunter has a Cobra Kai punisher grip on the Heisman Trophy, currently -330 to win the coveted award for the most outstanding player in college football. Oregon's Dillon Gabriel has slipped to a distant fourth at +2500.

Hunter rose to a near-cinch to win after playing a key role in the 8-2 Buffaloes 49-24 pasting of Utah in Boulder. The defensive back/receiver intercepted a first quarter pass and returned it 21 yards, snatched a 28-yard pass between two defenders on 4th and 8 to set up a touchdown, scored on a 5-yard reverse with 2:22 to play that stretched the lead to the final 25-point margin.

As if all that weren't enough, on his way to the locker room he was photographed signing autographs and giving away memorabilia to a boy in a wheelchair.

Travis Hunter made sure he signed a young fan who’s in a wheelchair jersey and gave him some gear after the game ❤️

pic.twitter.com/Rq39gmgZBJ
— We Coming (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) November 16, 2024

Hunter was beaten by the Utes Dorian Singer for a 40-yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter, but his sensational plays and image-enhancing gesture more than carried the day.

As to Gabriel, he led a fourth-quarter comeback with a couple of clutch passes and a 22-yard scramble inside the five, but the senior from Mililani, Hawaii also fueled Wisconsin's 10-6 halftime lead by throwing a pick in the Red Zone for the fourth time this year. On the night he was 22-31 passing for 218 yards, held without a touchdown running or passing for the first time this season.

Even as the Ducks reached 11-0 without a stellar performance from Gabriel Boise State's Ashton Jeanty riddled the San Jose State Spartans defense for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, pacing the Broncos to a 42-21 win on the road. BSU is now 9-1, 6-0 in the Mountain West thanks to Jeanty, who leads all of college football with 1,893 rushing yards.

That keeps him within hailing distance of Hunter at +350, but climbing over multiple-threat, playoff-bound Colorado humanitarian seems nearly impossible. In Eugene, Gabriel has said all season that "I'm not about individual accolades; I'm about wins." He can console himself with the knowledge that he has more of those than anyone else in the game this year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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