Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Travis Hunter isn’t even wearing his proverbial Heisman crown just yet. However, with all the fervor and plaudits comes a fair share of cynicism. This cynicism took a quirky form where it may come across as something said in jest but has undertones set in pessimism.

The Oregon Ducks are having quite the season. Even off-field, they were the big winners on National Signing Day. This culminated in their mascot, “The Duck”, making an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Amidst the ensuing gaiety, the mascot threw some shade at Travis Hunter. It said Ashton Jeanty should win the Heisman instead because “Snaps ain’t a stat”.

Naturally, his friend and adherent, Deion Sanders Jr., took issue with this. He took to X to say, “Y’all are the #1 in the nation & y’all whooped our a– last year… why tf is bro on there worried about us? S–t weird as hell” in retaliation to an excerpt from the show. Travis’ 2-way escapades have earned him the status of the favourite for the award. A part of the lore is the fact that he plays almost every snap of every game.

It would be a contentious but arguable claim to say Ashton Jeanty deserves the accolade. He’s been a pleasant throwback to the running back archetype. Ashton has statistically surpassed the previous RB campaign to win the Heisman in Derrick Henry all the way in 2015. Yet, whether you believe it’s prejudicial or apt, he’s ran up the numbers in the Mountain West. This is a massive hindrance in his case.

Travis Hunter, meanwhile, is on the opposite side of the spectrum in some ways. If Ashton is a throwback, Travis is a unicorn. The unprecedented nature of his game is what is the most captivating case for him. However, as evidenced by the aforementioned “Duck”, there is perhaps a misconception among the masses. While the sheer volume of snaps he plays is a factor, it isn’t the determining one.

Debunking the prevalent notion that Travis Hunter isn’t much beyond “no. of snaps”

Heisman favourite aside, there is a plethora of individual honors Travis is up for. He already wrapped up the Big 12 DPOY. In fact, he got named to the All-Big 12 Defense AND Offense. This isn’t just a popularity selection or because he’s active every snap. There are tangible reasons suggesting why Travis Hunter is the best player in CFB.

Travis as a cornerback- 1 TD scored on all season, fewest first downs allowed to opposition receivers nationwide, 20 receptions given up on the year for a measly 187 yards. Travis as a receiver- 2nd in TDs, 5th in yardage. This isn’t a player merely on the field for every snap, offering empty production. He’s impacting football games more than any athlete across the sport.

Whether “The Duck” and other naysayers buy in, Travis Hunter is in all likelihood going to hold that trophy in New York. Deion Jr. knows more than anybody that mentioning Colorado generates buzz. Whether the antics on McAfee’s show were a ploy to dismiss Travis’ season, give flowers to Ashton or simply garner some virality. The notion that Travis Hunter leads the Heisman race only because he’s on the field more than anyone is a fallacy.