Colorado Buffaloes do-it-all Travis Hunter has missed each of the team's last two games due to injury, but Deion Sanders is making sure the Heisman candidate not only plays on Saturday but also gets more run.

Hunter first suffered a bump in the first half against Kansas State. He went to the locker room and did not return to the game with what appeared to be shoulder soreness, although his actual injury was not reported. Hunter was expected to play a week later, and he did against Arizona, but his opportunities were limited and he sat out the second half again as the Buffs worked toward a blowout.

But with the Buffs back at home for the second full season since 2007 and on the verge of bowl eligibility, Hunter's availability could be huge against the also 5-2 Cincinnati Bearcats. Hunter had moved into second place in the Heisman race before his all-around play caused him to suffer from bumps. He was Colorado's leading receiver with 51 catches for 604 yards and six touchdowns. There were also two interceptions, 18 tackles and a forced fumble on defense.

“Travis is better than he was last week,” Sanders said Tuesday. “I think he will be more productive because he feels a lot better than last week. As you could clearly see from his little excitement and the way he approaches life, his walk is a little more energetic today.”

The Buffs' offense struggled in the second half against the Wildcats as they lost four wide receivers to injuries, including Hunter in the contest. A week later, both Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. were completely exhausted and limited. LaJohntay Wester had eight catches for 127 yards, while Will Sheppard and Drelon Miller each caught a touchdown pass as the Buffs put up 34 points on the road. The defense was great again, but Arizona struggled while Cincinnati experienced an upswing – highlighting Hunter's quick return to full health.

“I think he definitely did some conditioning today to make sure he's on the right track with his conditioning because he never gets tired and we want him to stay the way he is, but I think “He's definitely going to contribute a lot more than he did a week ago because he's healthier,” Sanders said.

Hunter is still very much alive in the Heisman race because he plays more than anyone in the country, but he'll have to get back to greatness sooner or later if he wants to take home college football's biggest individual award.