Deion Sanders doesn’t want his Jim Thorpe Award anymore.
The Colorado head coach, livid that his star player, Travis Hunter, was not named a finalist for the award that’s given to the best defensive back in the country each season, is going to give it to Hunter instead.
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Jim Thorpe Award?” Sanders said. “You could have my award, you could have it back. Matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust.
“So Travis could have my Thorpe Award because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and he is, I would say arguably, but I don’t think it’s really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”
Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Georgia safety Malaki Starks were named the three finalists for the award on Tuesday. The winner will be announced on Dec. 12.
Hunter, who plays on both sides of the ball and is also a wide receiver, has 31 total tackles and three interceptions this season. By comparison, Barron has 41 total tackles and four interceptions with the Longhorns. Downs has 50 total tackles at Ohio State, and Starks has 55 tackles and one interception with the Bulldogs.
Hunter was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top wide receiver in the country. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and San Jose State’s Nick Nash were the other two finalists. Hunter has 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on 82 catches so far this season.
Sanders, who is in his second season leading the Buffaloes, won the Jim Thorpe Award at Florida State in 1988.
“I don’t know how in the world is Travis Hunter not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” he said. “They just pretty much messed up all the integrity of the award and he could have mine, whoever’s voting down there, who’s ever bringing it home. Thank you, because I don’t even want mine now.”
Colorado holds an 8-3 record heading into Friday’s regular season finale against Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes fell to Kansas last week, which likely ended the chance for them to make the Big 12 title game. They would need a win and at least two other losses elsewhere in the conference this week to make it in.
Both Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are widely expected to be top picks in the NFL Draft next spring, too. While Colorado isn’t likely to make the College Football Playoff, Sanders insisted that both stars will be participating in whatever bowl game they make it to. It will mark the program’s first Bowl game since 2020. The Buffaloes haven’t won a bowl game since 2004.
“No, it’s not the last time you’re going to see them in a Buffs uniform,” Sanders said. “These two and all the rest of the seniors have done a wonderful job of getting us to where we are, instilling so much expectation in our fan base and expectation in ourselves.
“So, we’re going to fight and try to go out there and kick some butt and end this thing on the right note. And we are going to go to a bowl game and end this thing on the right note because our fans deserve the absolute best.”
