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What if Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter had played football for Kirby Smart at Georgia?
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What if Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter had played football for Kirby Smart at Georgia?
ATHENS — What would have happened if Travis Hunter had signed and played his college football with Georgia?
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If Hunter had not followed Sanders to an FCS program for two years and gone to any major FBS program, he would have been playing in the NFL this year making way more money than he got in NIL at Colorado.
If a frog had wings. I'm happy with our Dawgs
"What would have happened if Travis Hunter had signed and played his college football with Georgia?"…..Mike, I'm doubting that Hunter would have cracked the secondary in his freshman year given who was starting…..receiver, yes……but you never know??? I am astounded by the "The 50 most-watched games of the 2024 season"…….by far and away The Dawgs were the biggest money makers in the 24 season….with games yet to play……10 game average 9.33 million viewers…..we may have to add GOLD to our Red & Black!
Interesting article and there are numerous possibilities that could have occurred if he had played at UGA. I think Kirby would have used him on both sides of the ball like Champ or Woodson, but I seriously doubt he would have registered over 100 plays a game like he did at Colorado. Also, Kirby isn’t into showcasing individual players like Deion likes to do so I’m not sure he would have gotten as much exposure as he did at Colorado. The voting for the Heisman was very close for the top 2 finalists so the lack of playing time at UGA would have decreased his stats and possibly cost him the award. Also, if he had played in the SEC it would have been much harder to have attained the same accomplishments. I enjoyed watching him and believe he’s an amazing talent, but I don’t think he would have had those gaudy stats at UGA. He won the Heisman without ever winning a Division I “team” award or ring…kind of a win/lose situation. He’s a little like Justin Fields in that we would have loved having him on our team, but I can’t think of a game that we lost and would have definitely won had he been at UGA. Go Dawgs!!!
He didn't come to Georgia because Deion probably told him he would never be the featured back or receiver at Georgia, and he probably would not have won the heisman either. I doubt Kirby would have played him both ways as much as he played at Colorado and JSU. I even doubt he would have racked up those numbers in the SEC.
If we had Hunter last year, we probably would have beaten Alabama in the SEC CG, and maybe, just maybe had won our 3rd Natty in a row. Can you imagine having McConkey, Bowers and Hunter?
hunter wouldn’t have sniffed the heisman at uga. First, his stats at CO were average for both positions. secondly, Coach prime hyped him into the award. At uga, CKS would have instilled a more team first approach.
Side note coach Fran just signed his son from the transfer portal.
My thoughts are Hunter would not have been as dominant in the SEC as he has been in the Big 12 and SAC, respectively. Coach Smart is a team first coach. He would not put as much emphasis on one guy like Coach Sanders did. The same applies for Jeanty at Boise State. I don't meant to disrespect or downplay the accomplishments of either Hunter or Jeanty, just calling it like I see it.
Except that this did not happen @saldiven. Hunter only played one year at Jackson State and then 2 at Colorado. He is entering the NFL in his 3rd year out of high school, the first year that he is eligible. You appear to be confusing Travis Hunter with his teammate Shedeur Sanders, who indeed played 2 years at JSU then 2 at Colorado. However, one should note that Shedeur Sanders was not a 5 star recruit, let alone the #1 overall recruit, like Hunter. Sanders was a 3 star recruit by most major services (ESPN was an outlier by listing him as a 4 star recruit and #60 overall) who attracted little interest from major programs beyond what appears to have been courtesy offers extended as a favor to his famous father, as he was headed to a mid-major, and a low profile one at that, before going to Jackson State . It is safe to say that both Hunter and Sanders maximized their NFL potential with their choice of college coach. Everyone is raving about Hunter now when he is 6'1" 185 lbs, but coming out of high school he was 160 lbs and barely 6 feet. Can you imagine a guy that small in the SEC or Big 10? He would have needed 2 years in the weight room before even seeing the field. As a true freshman, he was even knocked around at Jackson State with opposing fans - and not a few in the media - calling him an overrated recruit. So when @MikeGriffith claims that Hunter would have done all of these things as a 2 way player for UGA in the SEC, he is leaving a bit out. (I also recall @MikeGriffith expressing a rather low opinion of Sanders as a coach last year. He still hasn't mentioned whether he has changed his mind.)
His numbers, 96 catches and 14 TDs, were not "average" for WRs. Hunter had better WR numbers than 2 of the 5 WRs who were taken in the first round of the last NFL draft, and comparable numbers to 2 more. His Heisman naysayers claim that Hunter didn't have DeVonta Smith numbers - senior year anyway, his numbers were comparable to Smith's junior year numbers and Hunter is a junior - but Smith's Heisman was solely as a WR.
For his defensive stats, compare him to the best NFL prospect at DB from the SEC this year, Jahdae Barron of Texas. Barron had 42 tackles, 5 INTs and 9 passes defended. Hunter had 32 tackles, 4 INTs and 11 passes defended. (Barron is a 23 year old 5th year senior, Hunter a 21 year old true junior.) So yes, Hunter is an NFL 1st round pick DB.
So, a guy who started both CB and WR and played well enough to be first round picks at both positions is "average" and "hyped into the award?
No, Hunter doesn't put up those numbers at UGA but only because Colorado didn't have 15 guys drafted off the 2021 team and 10 off the 2022 team like UGA did. Colorado absolutely did need every bit of Hunter's numbers and more on a rebuilding program that hasn't been any good in years.
And for the record, the last "CB/WR" to win the Heisman, Charles Woodson, had 230 yards and 2 TDs as a WR that year.
yes. Average was not a good word. As he was top 10 in both categories. But my bigger point he probably wouldn’t have been featured enough in a CKS scheme to even be a finalist.
Hunter only played 1 year at JSU. Had Hunter come to UGA he would not have won the Heisman. But he would have won a championship. Probably 2. Maybe 3. But championships were not his goal. His goal was building his brand.
But he would not have fit into the UGA "profile" for its players. Way too "look at me". Way too "me first". He is not a culture fit for UGA. His true self emerged under Deion. He has turned into Deion Jr. Apparently with all the associated surrounding drama. He would not have been happy being on a team and not being the center of attention. The straw that stirs the drink.
Who knows what UGA would've done last year had the ref's reviewed the 4th down Bond "catch" in the SECCG. Or what is yet to happen this year. It would've been a challenge for CKS to maintain the UGA culture in the face of 1 player trying to be bigger than the program.
Point is that UGA has been in the mix for championships the last 3 years w/o Hunter. Program building is bigger than 1 player.
Given those TV numbers, perhaps Disney (ESPN and ABC) commentators will start showing the Dawgs a little more love. It is all all about the money, baby! 😉
too bad that Hunter tirned out to be a traitor to his state.