BOULDER — Travis Hunter is still at least two weeks away from returning to the playing field, CU Buffs football coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday morning.
“It would my dream (for him) to stay out until the bye week,” Coach Prime said at his weekly news conference, referring to CU’s open date on Oct. 21. “I would love to see him be out until the bye; that would give him like three extra weeks.”
Hunter has missed the Buffs’ last two games, at No. 8 Oregon and vs. No. 9 USC — both losses — recovering from a lacerated liver suffered in the Rocky Mountain Showdown against CSU.
CU (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) visits Arizona State (1-4, 0-2) on Saturday (4:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), then returns home to host Stanford (1-4, 0-3) next Friday night — two games that could ultimately shape the Buffs’ postseason fate.
A return after the Oct. 21 bye would see Hunter likely rejoin the defensive and offensive rotations in time for CU’s visit to UCLA on Oct. 28.
The injury was incurred off a hit by Rams safety Henry Blackburn, which drew ire from CU fans, national pundits and from social media. Hunter and Blackburn have since reconciled privately and publicly.
Hunter was at practice Tuesday, “coaching his (bottom) off,” Sanders said, stressing that the cornerback/wideout was “doing well.”
Without the Georgia native in the rotation, the Buffs have given up nine passing touchdowns and 90 points over the last two weekends.
Safety Shilo Sanders practiced and is inching closer to a return, the Buffs coach added, but right tackle Savion Washington, like Hunter, is also expected to be out a few more weeks.
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