Colorado expects to have banged-up 2-way star Travis Hunter available this weekend at Arizona

Updated Oct. 15, 2024 2:47 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Buffaloes are expected to have banged-up receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. available this weekend at Arizona.

It wasn't all positive news on the injury front for Colorado's deep corps of wideouts. While coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday at his weekly news conference that Hunter (shoulder) and Horn (knee) "should play for certain,” Omarion Miller (broken lower left leg) and Terrell Timmons Jr. (unspecified) are out indefinitely. Miller underwent surgery Monday and may be done for the season.

“Our receiving room is really deep,” receiver LaJohntay Wester said. “Even the young guys who don’t have actual game-time experience, just the way they practice and attack the day, I’m real confident in our group. I don’t think it’s going to be any fall off.”

Hunter, a Heisman hopeful for his elite play on both sides of the ball, hurt his shoulder and left the game in the first half of a 31-28 loss to No. 17 Kansas State. Losing Hunter for any significant time would've been a big blow for the Buffaloes (4-2, 2-1 Big 12). He's also the team's top defensive back and rarely comes off the field.

On the play he got hurt, Hunter hauled in a pass from Shedeur Sanders on a crossing pattern before running full speed into Kansas State safety Daniel Cobbs. Hunter held onto the ball but signaled to the sideline that he needed a sub.

Hunter missed three games last season with a lacerated liver after taking a hard hit against Colorado State.

This season, Hunter's caught a team-leading 49 passes for 587 yards. On defense, he's picked off two passes and forced a fumble. He's a constant fixture on the field.

Despite a depleted receiving corps, Shedeur Sanders was dialed in against the Wildcats, completing a program-record 16 straight passes at one point. He finished 34 of 40 for 388 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He's in the Heisman picture, too. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel and Hunter are the current favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

“I never thought four receivers would get injured in one game. That’s just ridiculous,” Sanders said after the game. "But things happen, life happens, so we've just got to roll with it and do what we've got to do for next week.

"We have to keep going no matter what.”

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football