Travis Hunter is a true phenom. The Colorado Buffaloes‘ two-way star has been the talk of the town, whether it’s in NFL mock drafts or on award watchlists—he’s everywhere. And now, with less than a week until the Buffaloes hit the field, the excitement is building. 

On August 24th, the CU Buffs star roster gathered for a press conference, and let’s just say Hunter was oozing positivity ahead of the season opener. It seems he’s on a mission to inspire Buffs’ fans one-on-one this time around.

During his chat with the media, a reporter asked him what motivates him, and his answer was nothing short of inspiring. “I got a lot of brothers and sisters. So I go out there and just fight for them. Just show them I could be the best whenever I can,” he said. And he’s already proven he can fight.

Last year, despite suffering a life-threatening hit from Colorado State Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn—an injury that forced him to miss three games—Hunter came back strong for his Buffs fans. However, in the few games he played, Hunter showed he is a beast. He got 31 tackles as a corner and 57 catches with 5 touchdowns as a wideout. And now, his name is on every major award watchlist. Be it the Jim Thorpe Award, Biletnikoff Award, or even the Chuck Bednarik Award; he’s just there. 

It’s now clear that Travis Hunter is more than ready to take on the Big 12 this season. But he’s not just focused on himself—he’s also donning his motivator hat to inspire his fellow Buffaloes.

Travis Hunter gets his team ready for action

Travis Hunter’s positive drive isn’t something new—it’s been there all along, and he’s been sharing it with his teammates, too. Earlier this month, he reminded his fellow Buffs that there were “21 days [and] everybody’s doubting us.” Many media outlets have labeled the Buffs as a “trash team” and ranked them low. But Hunter isn’t letting that slide. He told his team, “Whatever they got to rank, we have to show them better. We got to be the No.1 team. We got to go at this and just keep working.”

Now Hunter has already proven himself as a great player, even with an injury-plagued season and his team’s mediocre 4-8 record. Despite these setbacks, most polls now rank him as the No.1 CFB player in the nation. CBS recently released its top 151 players, and Hunter sits at the top of the list. CBS’s Blake Brockermeyer even called him a “silky smooth corner.” Similarly, a week ago, PFF’s Max Chadwick also placed Hunter at the No.1 spot, praising his dual-threat ability on the field.

Travis Hunter is surely getting his flowers, but the big question is whether he can lift his team, too. We’ll find out when the Buffs face North Dakota State on August 29th.