Colorado's season kicks off Thursday
Lots of eyeballs will be focused on Boulder, Colorado, Thursday night, and that's exactly how Travis Hunter wants it.
After being the talk of the offseason last year, Deion Sanders led his Colorado Buffaloes to a wild 3-0 start before a disappointing ending. They lost eight of their final nine games.
But Coach Prime is still on the sidelines. His son, a likely early selection in the NFL Draft, is the quarterback, and Hunter is a two-way superstar.
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Colorado's Travis Hunter plays pass coverage against Arizona at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Sanders should be commended for taking a 1-11 team in 2022 and winning three more games last year. And he deserves praise for putting the Buffaloes back on the college football map. But, for Hunter, it's not about "hype" anymore.
"It’s not hype no more, just expectations. We know we gotta go out there and win," Hunter told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "We know we gotta put in the work. This offseason, that’s all we’ve been focused on — putting in the work, getting stronger, gaining weight, getting better lines, getting better guys so we know we can go out there and be comfortable going out there going to war."
College football fans will be getting a look at all the offseason work the Buffaloes put in Thursday when they host North Dakota State. And, just like last year, Colorado's games will be watched all over.
Is that added pressure? Sure. But Hunter doesn't mind it.
Colorado's Travis Hunter against Arizona at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. (Jamie Schwaberow/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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"We know it’s a lot of eyes on us. But we just go out there and work. We know we’re gonna be seen, so we just go out there and work and try to be the best for each other," Hunter said.
"I shine brighter when the lights are on. There’s never nothing wrong with people watching me. I just go out there and work."
The Buffaloes entered their first game last season as 22.5-point underdogs to TCU, who had been fresh off a national championship appearance. Colorado won the game and rose as high as No. 18 in the country.
Colorado's Travis Hunter on the field against Arizona at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., Nov. 11, 2023. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
But the ending left a bad taste, and Hunter knows how they can improve.
"We gotta win more. We gotta win the clutch games where we lost by seven or less," he said. "We’re right there. We just gotta finish those games right there. Our record easily could’ve been switched."
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET Thursday.
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