BOULDER, Colo. — Travis Hunter started his victory lap on the Colorado sideline, signing autographs and taking pictures as fans chanted, “Heisman!”

He posed with his fiancée, Leanna Lenee, who wore a jacket with “HE12MAN” — a nod to Hunter, his jersey number and college football’s top individual honor — on the back. As Hunter completed his celebratory circuit behind the north end zone at Folsom Field, a fan told him he was the greatest ever to wear a Colorado jersey.

The Buffaloes’ two-way sensation capped his career at Folsom Field on Friday with an emphatic closing argument for why he should win the Heisman Trophy, hauling in three touchdown passes and an interception as Colorado walloped Oklahoma State 52-0 to finish the regular season at 9-3. Unless Colorado gets some help Saturday and advances to the Big 12 championship game — the Buffaloes would need several outcomes to go their way — Hunter will not play again before the Heisman voting concludes.

“Travis clinched the Heisman with his performance,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said.

Hunter entered Friday as the overwhelming favorite (-800) to win the Heisman and saw his odds soar to -25000 during the game per ESPN BET, as he broke Colorado’s single-season touchdowns receptions record, which now stands at 14, and tied the single-game team mark. He intercepted a Maealiuaki Smith pass on the game’s first series and nearly had another interception at the end of the first half, finishing with two pass breakups.

The junior, who starts at both cornerback and wide receiver, recorded an interception and an offensive touchdown in a game for the fourth time this season. According to ESPN Research, he also became the first player in the past 25 seasons with two games of multiple scrimmage touchdowns and an interception.

Hunter is vying to become Colorado’s second Heisman winner, following running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. And he’s also vying to become the first to play a defensive position full time and win it since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. Hunter, who elected not to speak with reporters Friday, also is a finalist for the Maxwell Award, given to college football’s top player, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the defensive player of the year.

“Travis Hunter proved today and he has proved every week that he is the best player in college football,” Sanders said. “You’ve got to give me another definition of the award. The award is to go to who? The best quarterback? He’s up for best offensive player, best defensive player, a plethora of things.

“Who else has done that? Ever?”

Earlier in the week, Sanders criticized voting for the Thorpe Award for not including Hunter as a finalist. Sanders, who won the Thorpe in 1988 at Florida State, said criticism of Hunter’s modest tackles total (30) is “stupid,” noting that cornerbacks who make many tackles are thrown at for a reason.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who called Hunter “a special player,” admitted that his team challenged the Colorado star far too much Friday.

Hunter also is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top receiver, after dramatically improving his numbers from his first two college seasons. He recorded his seventh 100-yard receiving performance Friday, and had at least 10 catches for the third time, bringing his season total to 82.

“There’s no argument at this point,” said Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who likely will factor into the Heisman voting, as well. “That’s crazy, the consistency that he has, that’s what the award is about.”

Both Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders said they don’t like to knock other awards candidates, and Shedeur Sanders recognized the play of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, likely Hunter’s top challenger for the Heisman. But they think Hunter’s two-way brilliance — he hardly ever comes off of the field on offense or defense when game outcomes haven’t been decided — stands alone.

“Travis proved that week after week, throughout injuries and throughout everything,” Shedeur Sanders said. “He’s the life of our team.”

Hunter’s early interception set off what became a Heisman infomercial. He strolled into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.

His final play came early in the fourth quarter, as he leaped for a 23-yard touchdown pass from Sanders while being draped by Oklahoma State’s Kale Smith.

“Travis is him, man, Travis is that dude,” Deion Sanders said. “Ain’t nobody can deal with him on either side of the ball.”

Shedeur Sanders said he plans to attend the Heisman Trophy presentation Dec. 14 in New York, even if he isn’t a finalist. Sanders on Friday became the first Colorado player to win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback. He finished with 438 passing yards with five touchdowns and an interception against Oklahoma State.

After the game, Deion Sanders took pictures with his three sons — Shedeur, Colorado senior safety Shilo Sanders, and Deion Jr., who produces social content for the CU program. Deion Sanders reiterated that Hunter, Shedeur and the rest of the team will play in the team’s upcoming bowl game, but Friday marked the end to their time together at Folsom Field.

“I didn’t really think about it until watching the last seconds tick off, like, ‘Dang, this is it, this is it,'” Deion Sanders said. “Do you know how long this journey has been with me and my kids? There’s been a lot of ups and downs and ins and outs, a lot of adverse situations, a lot of highlights.

“It’s unbelievable to think that it’s the conclusion of the matter, just here. That’s tough.”

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is not expected to play against Ohio State on Saturday, leaving the Wolverines without their top defensive back and the program’s highest-regarded NFL draft prospect.

Johnson has been battling a toe injury, and his absence had become expected as he continued to deal with the injury. ESPN reported Saturday that Johnson was unlikely to play this week, and that will come to fruition against No. 2 Ohio State.

Johnson hasn’t played since Oct. 19, when he left the Illinois game with the toe injury. He’s projected as the No. 2 overall player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s draft board, a rare high spot for a cornerback.

The loss of Johnson is not unexpected, but it still looms large. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2024 before the injury, and his presence gave Michigan flexibility in their coverages because he’s such an effective defender.

Ohio State has the country’s No. 2 passing efficiency offense and No. 31 overall pass offense. It includes a talented wide receiver group, led by veteran Emeka Egbuka and star freshman Jeremiah Smith.

Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 202-pound corner who earned defensive MVP Honors in Michigan’s national title win against Washington last year. He finished 2023 with four interceptions and earned numerous All-American honors. He also was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection.

The possibility looms that not playing against the Buckeyes could mark the end of Johnson’s college career, if he elects to skip Michigan’s bowl game. Skipping bowl games is expected for elite prospects like Johnson, who is on track to be a Top-5 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Four-star 2026 Michigan quarterback pledge Brady Hart has flipped his commitment to Texas A&M and plans to reclassify into the 2025 cycle, he told ESPN Friday morning.

Hart, No. 89 in the ESPN Junior 300, intends to sign with the Aggies when the early signing period opens Dec. 4 and will enroll early next month, joining Texas A&M at just 16 years old.

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound passer from Cocoa, Florida, lands with the Aggies less than two weeks after former Texas A&M quarterback pledge Husan Longstreet flipped his commitment to USC on Nov. 17. On3 was first to report Hart’s move on Friday.

Hart’s decision to reclassify comes as he leads Florida’s Cocoa High School through the state playoffs at the end of his junior season. He first committed to Michigan on June 18 as the No. 8 pocket passer in the 2026 class and remained the Wolverines’ highest-rated 2026 pledge before his flip.

With his move, Hart becomes the latest addition to the quarterback shuffle atop the 2025 class, following the flips of five ESPN 300 passers over the past month.

The outlook for Michigan’s future quarterback depth changed significantly last week when top overall prospect Bryce Underwood flipped his pledge from LSU to the Wolverines on Nov. 21, while the Aggies have been searching for a quarterback in the 2025 class since Longstreet, ESPN’s No. 4 pocket passer, pulled his commitment to join Lincoln Riley’s incoming class at USC.

The shifting landscape just before the three-day early signing period opened an opportunity for Hart, who told ESPN he felt prepared to graduate early to kick-start his college career under Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Collin Klein.

“I’ve had a fair share of schools ask me to reclass these past couple of months,” Smith said. “I felt like I’m mentally ready to go to school and start the next step of all this. I just felt A&M was just the perfect place.”

Hart is the 12th ESPN 300 pledge in the Aggies’ 2025 class. He’ll land on campus next month alongside four-star tight Kiotti Armstrong (No. 160 in the ESPN 300) and athlete Kelshaun Johnson (No. 176), who is expected to play wide receiver at the next level.

Texas A&M is set to host a handful of high-profile recruits when it hosts Texas on Saturday, including five-star offensive Michael Fasusi and four-star wide receiver Jerome Myles, as the Aggies look to add to the nation’s 11th-ranked recruiting before the early signing period.

Texas A&M restores its rivalry with Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC.