December 5th 2024.
The Colorado football team has been on a roll lately, with star players Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders racking up awards left and right. As they wait to find out their bowl destination, the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes have just received a huge honor - a sweep of the top two awards in the Big 12 conference. Hunter was named the defensive player of the year, while Sanders took home the offensive player of the year title. This is a major accomplishment for the Buffs, as it marks only the third time in the university's history that they have had both the offensive and defensive players of the year in the same season.
The awards were voted on by the conference coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players. This just goes to show how highly respected Hunter and Sanders are by their peers. In fact, this is not the first time that the Buffs have had this kind of success - in 1989 and 1990, they also had players named as the offensive and defensive players of the year in the Big Eight conference.
Aside from Hunter and Sanders, their teammate BJ Green II also received first-team all-conference honors, and was named as the defensive newcomer of the year. Hunter, who is widely considered the top contender for the Heisman Trophy, was also the preseason favorite for the Big 12 defensive player of the year. He certainly lived up to the expectations, leading the conference in passes defended and making a game-saving forced fumble against Baylor. He is only the seventh player from CU to receive this award, and the first in the last 32 years.
Hunter is a true all-around player, as he also received honorable mention for the offensive player of the year award. As the only full-time two-way player in college football, he leads the Big 12 in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and is second in receiving yards. Sanders, on the other hand, made history by becoming the first CU quarterback to be named first-team all-conference since 1996. He leads the Big 12 in several categories, including completion percentage, passing yards, touchdown passes, and quarterback rating. He is also one of the few quarterbacks in the country to rank top five nationally in all of these categories.
But it's not just Hunter and Sanders who have been making waves for the Buffaloes. Transfer player BJ Green II has also been an integral part of their success this season, leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss. He was named as the Big 12's defensive newcomer of the year, and is the first CU player to receive this honor since 2004. And let's not forget about linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, who earned second-team all-conference honors for his impressive stats this season.
In addition to the top awards, eight other Buffs received honorable mention at their positions, including defensive backs, defensive linemen, offensive linemen, receivers, kickers, and punters. It's clear that the Buffaloes have a strong and talented team, and their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed by the conference coaches.
While CU may have taken home the top player honors, the Big 12 coach of the year title went to Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham. Despite being projected to finish last in the conference, the 15th-ranked Sun Devils have exceeded expectations and will be playing in the Big 12 title game this weekend. Other notable awards include the co-special teams players of the year, the offensive newcomer and freshman of the year, and the scholar-athletes of the year.
As the Buffaloes continue to celebrate their success, Sanders has even more reason to celebrate as he was named as one of the 10 finalists for the prestigious Manning Award, which honors the top quarterback in the country. The winner will be announced in January, and the award takes bowl games into consideration. In other news, CU defensive lineman Rayyan Buell has entered the transfer portal, as reported by 247Sports. Despite facing an injury this season, Buell had a solid performance with three tackles and a QB hurry. Keep an eye out for more updates on Denver's teams by signing up for the Sports Omelette.
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