Travis Hunter’s dream became a reality Thursday night.

The former Colorado star, who shined on offense and defense in winning the Heisman Trophy last season as the best player in college football, was selected No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville traded up from No. 5 with the Cleveland Browns to snag Hunter.

“They haven’t talked to me since the combine, so I’m super excited to be able to go back home and be able to play for an organization that thought I was worthy of trading up and getting,” Hunter, a Florida native who played high school football in Suwanee, Ga., said during an interview by ESPN on the draft stage in Green Bay, Wis.

A 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver and cornerback, Hunter joined fullback Bo Matthews (second overall in 1974 to San Diego) as the highest-drafted players in CU history.

In going No. 2, Hunter is also the highest-drafted cornerback in NFL history. Three others went No. 3, most recently Derek Stingley in 2022. Hunter is also the first receiver to be a top-two pick since Calvin Johnson went No. 2 in 2007. Hunter is the 25th player from CU to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft and just the fourth to go in the top five. Adding another nugget of history, Hunter was the first CU player to be on site for the draft and walk on stage to shake the hand of the commissioner.

In addition, Hunter is the first non-quarterback Heisman winner to be drafted in the top two since running back Bo Jackson was the No. 1 pick in 1986.Letting out a scream upon hearing his name, Hunter, in a pink suit, danced his way to the stage and was greeted by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Leading up to the draft, there was never a question about Hunter being a top pick. Most projections had him going No. 2 overall, but to Cleveland. The stunner came when the Browns traded the pick to the Jaguars, but the Browns received not only the No. 5 pick, but a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and Jacksonville’s 2026 first-round choice.

Most of the discussion about Hunter leading up to the draft centered on which position he would play in the NFL. A full-time starter at receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes, there’s been plenty of debate about whether he could play both in the NFL.

Hunter has always maintained that he wants to play both sides of the ball, and he appears to be going to a team that will allow him to do just that.

“They told me they was gonna let me go out there and do what I do,” Hunter said on ESPN. “They put me on the phone with both coordinators, so I’m gonna just go out there and just do what I could do.”

Hunter is just the third CU player ever drafted by the Jaguars. Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Chris Hudson was selected in the third round in 1995, while receiver Laviska Shenault was a second-round pick in 2020. Shenault was the last Buff to play for Jacksonville, from 2020-22.

Last year, Hunter was the most decorated player in college football history. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, he won the Walter Camp national player of the year and the Associated Press national player of the year.

Hunter was also awarded two national defensive player of the year awards (Bednarik Award and Lott Impact Trophy), the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the country, and the Hornung Award as the most versatile player in the nation.

As a junior last season at CU, Hunter had 96 catches (second-most in CU history for a single season) for 1,258 yards (third-most) and 15 touchdowns (CU record). He also extended his school record for 100-yard games in a season, with eight.

Although he played just two seasons at CU, Hunter leaves the program ranking tied for seventh in career catches with 153, 11th with 1,979 yards and tied for sixth with 20 TD catches.

Hunter had 11 100-yard receiving games in his CU career, tied for second most with Rae Carruth (1992-96) and behind only Charles E. Johnson (12 from 1991-93).