By Scott Salomon
The Colorado Buffaloes lost eight of their last nine games to end the 2023 season on a very sour note, but two-way superstar Travis Hunter believes that despite a 4-8 record this year, the Buffs will improve in the offseason and compete for a national title in 2024.
“Expectation for next year, just go out and ball. Trying to become the highest draft pick I can. Trying to win something with my team and get the National Championship,” Hunter told Bleacher Report on his podcast on Wednesday. “Just trying to get everything we didn’t get this year. If you’re fans of us, stay with us, we got y’all.”
Hunter believes that Colorado will be much better in year two of the Coach Prime Era than it was in 2023.
“You know, it was a hard season for us,” Hunter said. “We were a group of men coming together that we have never seen before. Next year, best believe we’re winning more than four games. We coming different next year.”
Travis Hunter confident that Colorado will rebound in 2024: 'We coming different next year' https://t.co/DML4w0Iagq pic.twitter.com/GTt0DVkqTf
— ColoradoBuffaloesWire (@BuffaloesWire) November 30, 2023
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Travis Hunter has a message to Colorado doubters for next season 😤
(via 12 Talks with @TravisHunterJr) pic.twitter.com/XJ8LdAb7bF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 29, 2023
2024 will prove to be a make-it-or-break-it year for Hunter and his Colorado teammates, who are looking to show out for the NFL scouts. Hunter will be draft-eligible and could be the first two-way player drafted in many years.
Hunter was well on his way to a great season after the first two games until he suffered a lacerated liver in a home game against Colorado State. He was forced to miss three games and never really got a chance to show out the way he did the first three games of the season. However, he did score a touchdown in three of his last four games and had two additional scores wiped out by penalties in the season finale against Utah.
The stat line for Hunter was not bad in 2023 despite missing the three games. He caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns while leading the defense with three interceptions and totaling 30 tackles.
Colorado might have a bigger uphill climb than Hunter leads on, but one thing is for sure: Coach Prime will flip the roster yet again, and Hunter will prove that he is the cream of the crop in Boulder and that the Buffs will only go as far as he and quarterback Shedeur Sanders will take them.
Travis Hunter guarantees Colorado will be better in 2024: https://t.co/qd7b35dtKC pic.twitter.com/3GtlDDD8M0
— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 29, 2023
While Hunter is talking about winning a national title, he must realize that Coach Prime still has no offensive line, a shaky defense, and might have to find a replacement for Sanders, the quarterback, who sources say suffered a fractured back, which kept him out of the season finale against Utah. Perhaps their biggest goal should be acclimating to the Big XII, where they begin play in 2024, and maybe becoming bowl-eligible.
Sanders’ back injury was kept silent until his brother, Deion, Jr., revealed it on his own podcast on his YouTube Channel.
“He has a fracture in his back,” the video said in text as Deion Jr. spoke to Shedeur before the Utah game.
Shedeur said he felt good but did not denounce the injury.
“It’s crazy because I feel good, bro,” Shedeur told Deion Jr. in the video. “But when I start running for real, it’s like the idea is like, ‘Ah, I feel good,’ but realistically … you can’t. I can’t even throw right now.”
