Travis Hunter exits Colorado game with apparent shoulder injury

Travis Hunter, Colorado football’s two-way Heisman candidate, exited Saturday’s game against Kansas State with an apparent shoulder injury.

According to Buffzone’s Brian Howell, Hunter walked off the field twice with shoulder pain, with the second time resulting in him walking out of the stadium to the nearby medical center of Colorado’s Champions Center.

Hunter left in the second quarter and did not return before halftime began, at which point Kansas State led 14-7. He was ruled questionable to return at the start of the third quarter, but was soon seen in uniform on the sideline.

The junior has been part of the Heisman conversation by virtue of his standout play on both sides of the ball. On offense, he entered Saturday 10th in the country with 561 receiving yards and tied for sixth with six receiving touchdowns. On defense, he is a lockdown cornerback with three passes defended and two interceptions this year.

That unique ability makes him one of the hardest players in the country to replace, which Colorado might have to do if it wants to emerge with a win Saturday. This injury might also represent the risks of Hunter’s workload, which saw him play 620 total snaps in his first five games this season.

On Saturday, Hunter played 44 of the game’s first 45 offensive and defensive snaps.

Football is a notoriously punishing game and Hunter is essentially attempting to play two games each week. He missed three games last season after getting hurt by a dirty hit last season and could now be facing another issue.