2024
2024 WINNER – (Travis Hunter )
By: Curtis Snyder, Associate AD/Athletic Communications
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the first time in the awards history, Colorado’s Travis Hunter became the first two-time winner of the Paul Hornung Award, picking up the 2024 award on Wednesday, it was announced by the Louisville Sports Commission. Each season it is awarded to college football’s most versatile player.
The first true two-way star in a generation, Hunter has played 1,360 snaps on offense and defense this season and leads the Power 4 in receiving touchdowns (14), is second in receptions (92) and yards (1,152). On defense, he has been targeted 39 times, third-fewest in the P4, and has given up an FBS-leading six first downs (for players with 300 or more snaps). He also has 15 passes defended (four interceptions, 11 pass breakups), tied for third in the P4 despite only having 39 targets, and his four interceptions are tied for fifth among P4 players.
He has caught 92 passes and allowed just 22 receptions, caught 14 touchdowns and allowed just one, and has 53 first downs on offense and given up just six.
Defensively on the field, he had the sixth-best PFF grade for coverage, the seventh-best as a cornerback for overall defense, and the third-best cornerback for run defense, fueled by a walk-off forced fumble in overtime against Baylor.
Among all the major college awards, he is the 29th player to win the same award twice, 28th to win one in back-to-back seasons, and just the ninth to win a major college award twice by his junior season, joining Brian Bosworth (Oklahoma, Dick Butkus, 1985-86), Orlando Pace (Ohio State, Lombardi, 1995-96), Darren McFadden (Arkansas, Doak Walker, 2006-07), Tim Tebow (Florida, Maxwell, 2007-08), Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech, Fred Biletnikoff, 2007-08), Deshaun Watson (Clemson, Davey O’Brien, 2015-16), Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama, Bronko Nagurski, 2021-22) and Brock Bowers (Georgia, John Mackey, 2022-23).
Hunter led the nation with 21 offensive plays of 20 yards or more, led the Big 12 and was second nationally in touchdown receptions, led the Big 12 and was eighth nationally in passes defended, and was second in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game. He had six games with 100+ receiving yards, four games with multiple touchdowns, led the Buffaloes in interceptions and pass breakups, was eighth in tackles, and forced a fumble against Baylor in overtime to seal a win. Through week 10 of the regular season, Hunter made the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll six times; he had two standout performances in the final four weeks of the season when the Honor Roll was no longer in play – caught eight passes for 125 yards and two scores against Kansas, against Oklahoma State he caught 10 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns and picked off a pass.
Travis Hunter Season Stats:
All-purpose: 1,222 yards, 101.8 per game
Rushes: Two rushes, five yards, one touchdown
Receiving: 92 receptions, 1,152 yards, 14 touchdowns
Tackles: 32 tackles, 21 solo, 11 assisted, one tackle for loss, four quarterback hits, one forced fumble
Coverage: four interceptions, 65 yards, 11 pass breakups
Number of positions played: 10 (backfield, slot, wide, box, slot corner, wide corner, free safety, kick returner, punt returner, field goal/extra point block)
The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players who often go unnoticed. The Award is owned and operated by the LSC and presented by Texas Roadhouse. The announcement of the winner was made today by LSC President and CEO Greg Fante.
AWARDS UPDATE: Wednesday also saw a pair of publications come out with postseason awards, as CBS Sports released it’s All-America team and CFN released its version of the All-America team and national honors as well as Big 12 honors and its All-Big 12 Team.
CBS selected Travis Hunter as an All-American at three positions, first-team at both cornerback and all-purpose, and second-team at wide receiver. He is the first player since Houston’s Marcus Jones in 2021 to earn a spot on the All-America team at three positions and the first to pick up two first-team nods. Hunter is the first known player on the CBS teams to earn offense and defense honors, as Houston was named as all-purpose, cornerback, and punt returner.
CFN honored a total of 17 Buffs on its All-Big 12 team and honors and three for national honors including Shedeur Sanders as its National Quarterback of the Year. Sanders also earned first-team All-America honors by the publication while Hunter was named first-team at cornerback and second-team at wide receiver. LaJohntay Wester was also named honorable mention All-America at its flex position.
On its Big 12 honors, CFN named Hunter the overall Big 12 Player of the Year and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Jordan Seaton was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Sanders was named the Big 12 Quarterback of the Year, BJ Green II the Big 12 Edge Defender of the Year, Hunter the Big 12 Cornerback of the Year, and the Buffs picked up the award for the Big 12 Defensive Line of the Year.
On its conference teams, Hunter earned two first-team nods at cornerback and wide receiver while Sanders earned the quarterback distinction and Green at the edge position. Nikhai Hill-Green (LB) and Taje McCoy (Special Teams) earned second-team honors while Wester (WR) along with Cam’Ron Silmon Craig (S), Shilo Sanders (S), and Ben Finneseth (ST) earned third-team honors. On the honorable mention team were Phillip Houston (OT), Kahlil Benson (OG), Amari McNeill (DT), Colton Hood (CB), D.J. McKinney (CB), Carter Stoutmire (S), and Alejandro Mata (PK).
FINALISTS
Chosen as finalists were Louisville’s Isaac Brown, a running back who also handles kickoff returns and is a top-flight receiver out of the backfield; and Penn State’s Tyler Warren, a record-setting tight end who also plays wildcat quarterback, fullback, halfback and wingback
‘Primarily a running back, true freshman Isaac Brown also handles kickoff returns, sees occasional duty on punt returns and lines up at wildcat quarterback and slot. He made the Honor Roll twice as a workhorse in big, come-from-behind road wins for Louisville: against Boston College, he touched the ball 24 times three different ways and scored on a four-yard run and an 18-yard reception as the Cardinals prevailed 31-27; against Virginia, he touched the ball 23 times three different ways and scored on runs of seven and 14 yards as Louisville won 24-20. In the Cardinals’ 33-21 night-time road win over then no. 11 Clemson, Brown touched the ball 23 times, rushed for 150 yards and his 45-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. Brown is fifth in the ACC in rushing yards per game and fifth in all-purpose yards per game.
Primarily a tight end, Tyler Warren also lines up at wingback, fullback, slot, halfback, wide receiver, wildcat quarterback and long snapper in a center-eligible formation and has accounted for touchdowns receiving, rushing and passing. He had a game for the ages in Penn State’s 33-30 road win over USC: he touched the ball 19 times three different ways for 237 total yards; tied an FCS record for a tight end with 17 receptions for 227 yards, including a scoring catch where he lined up as center eligible and snapped to the shotgun quarterback; carried the ball for a first down and completed a pass from the wildcat quarterback position. Against Kent State, he caught five passes for 50 yards and a score, threw a 17-yard touchdown pass and had one carry for 17 yards after faking a pass.