Johnny Manziel knows a thing or two about capturing the hearts and minds of college football fans — and Heisman voters. And he thinks Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is on the road toward doing that — but isn't quite there yet.
"I don't know if [Hunter] should be the favorite right now," Manziel said. "Obviously I think he's one of the most explosive, dynamic players in college football, but to be the favorite, I don't know if he's done enough yet to warrant that."
Hunter is decidedly not the favorite to win the Heisman before Week 5, behind the likes of seven quarterbacks littered across the country, according to odds at FanDuel. Still, he's by far the highest-ranked skill position player on the leaderboard, hovering between +1000 and +1500 across all major American sportsbooks.
That's through a season where he's played nearly every snap at wide receiver and cornerback, posting nearly 500 receiving yards and five touchdowns while being one of the best shutdown corners in college football.
So why isn't Hunter the favorite yet?
BetMGM trader Michael Ranftle said it comes down to team performance.
"Historically, the Heisman winner comes from a team with great success throughout the season," BetMGM Senior Sports Trader Michael Ranftle said. "Colorado will most likely be underdogs for the majority of their remaining schedule. Even if the Buffaloes win half their games, they would be 7-5 on the season and it would be tough for one of their players to win the award."
But the Buffaloes are not the typical .500 football team. Historically, playing on one of those teams means there aren't many games in the spotlight. Colorado plays every game in the spotlight. They have played on CBS, FOX, ESPN and NBC so far this season and are slated to play on FOX again this week. They are the third most-viewed college football team this season.
Manziel doesn't believe wins will come into play as much as people think.
"I don't know if there's a number that they have to get to where you're going to say 'oh, okay, they have to win seven, eight games and then I think he should be in the Heisman conversation,'" Manziel said. "I think he has to continue to keep doing what he's doing on the offensive side of the ball. Keep putting up 100-yard games, keep scoring touchdowns, and keep making plays throughout games that people around the country are looking at and seeing that this guy is an absolute game-changer."
Collin Wilson, Action Network's senior college football expert and Heisman voter, believes the combination of Colorado's record and the Heisman, primarily a quarterback award, contributes to the number.
"Flat out a 6-win team producing a Heisman is what’s playing into that number," Wilson said. "Plus, like Ndamukong Suh in 2009, it can be so hard for defensive players to get votes."
Hunter is not the typical offensive player. Hunter is sixth in the nation in receiving yards, fourth in receptions and fourth in touchdowns through four games this season. On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter's impact is less quantifiable. Teams have opted to stay away from his side of the field. Baylor did not target his side once. Still, he had three tackles and a forced fumble.
Quarterbacks have a 59.2 passer rating when targeting Hunter. He has the most tackles of any cornerback in college football without a missed tackle this season.
"We haven't seen a defensive player win in the longest time, so it's going to have to be something that really, really stands out and something that presses up against the line of what people have done over the last 20-25 years of college football," Manziel said. "It's going to have to really be a standout season. He's well on his way, as we know, but we have a lot of season left."
