ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Pat Surtain II had already established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL as he prepared to enter his fourth season in September. He had already piled up an all-rookie honor, two Pro Bowl berths and one unanimous All-Pro selection, building a reputation as a player to avoid for opposing quarterbacks.
In his fourth season, the Denver Broncos star has raised his game to another level. His three interceptions — one of which was a 100-yard pick-six against the Las Vegas Raiders — and nine passes defensed barely scratch the surface of his impact. He has virtually erased every top receiver he’s faced this season. He has allowed only 4.9 yards per target as the nearest defender and opposing quarterbacks have compiled a meager 59.2 passer rating when throwing his way, according to Pro Football Reference. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November after allowing just 70 yards across 19 targets in four games. Overall, he’s allowed an explosive pass (16 or more yards) on less than 1 percent of his targets this season.
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Among those who have taken notice of Surtain’s standout season, even amid his own historic campaign, is University of Colorado two-way standout and Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter.
“He’s just a technician,” Hunter said on a recent episode of “The Pivot” podcast, naming Surtain as one of his top-three favorite cornerbacks along with his college coach, Deion Sanders, and Richard Sherman. “He’s just so relaxed. He don’t ever get rattled.”
You can call it a mutual admiration society among players who have plied their respective crafts this season inside stadiums that sit just 27 miles apart. Social media can make the connection even closer than that. Surtain reached out to Hunter earlier this season by direct message to express his admiration for the tireless weekly performances the junior was putting together for the Buffaloes. Surtain, along with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, wore a shirt with Hunter’s name and likeness on it before Denver’s game on “Monday Night Football” in Week 13, pushing his fandom of the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year on national display.
Respect. 🫡#HE12MAN x @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/OPWWlR7K6k
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 2, 2024
“He’s very unique, the type of player he is. His body of work speaks for itself,” Surtain said of Hunter, who had four interceptions as a corner and 14 touchdowns as a receiver (plus one rushing) while playing more than 700 snaps on each side of the ball and leading Colorado to just its second nine-win season since 2001. “Him coming in and doing the things he’s done is something we’ve never seen before, honestly. I’m excited for his future.”
Surtain is certainly not the only fan of Hunter in the NFL’s closest locker room to Boulder — or in the NBA’s for that matter. Denver Nuggets players DeAndre Jordan and Peyton Watson shared their support of Hunter’s Heisman candidacy earlier this month when they wore the same shirts to Ball Arena before a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Sutton, meanwhile, went to high school with Sanders’ son, Deion Jr., in Dallas. The Broncos’ top wide receiver doesn’t keep in regular contact with the Sanders family — Hunter, Deion Sanders has said, is an extension of that family — but those Texas connections have led Sutton to keep close tabs on the group since its first college stop at Jackson State.
After Denver’s win against the Browns, Sutton turned a question about the Hunter hoodie he was wearing into a two-minute stump speech for the Buffs’ one-of-a-kind star.
“I’ve known his family for a while now,” Sutton said. “I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m mad, mad close to them, but I’ve known his family for a while, and to see what Travis Hunter is doing at Colorado, the kid is special. He is the epitome of an athlete. He goes out there and plays 120 snaps a game, offensively and defensively. He thrives on both sides of the ball and it’s fun to watch him play. Whenever they play, it’s like, ‘Alright, what did Travis do? How many touchdowns did he have? How many interceptions did he have?’ We have debates in the locker room all the time about who is going to win the Heisman, and it’s just really hard to take it away from a guy who has been dominant — not just playing on both sides of the ball, but being dominant on both sides of the ball.”
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That’s not to say the belief Hunter should win the Heisman when the award is presented in New York City on Saturday is unanimous inside Denver’s locker room. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Hunter’s biggest competition for the award among a field of finalists that also includes quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Cam Ward (Miami), has rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading his Broncos to the College Football Playoff. If Jeanty rushes for 132 yards or more in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day, he’ll break Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season rushing record of 2,682 yards, a number that would have been even higher had the NCAA counted bowl statistics back in 1988.
“(Hunter) is a generational talent,” Broncos safety P.J. Locke said. “It’s something I’ve never seen with my two eyes, someone going both ways and being the top receiver and top defensive back. I think it’s going to be a tough one because you’ve also got someone who is getting ready to break Barry Sanders’ (single-season NCAA rushing) record. I already told JL (Skinner, a fellow Broncos safety and former Boise State standout) that record’s getting broken. It’s a tough decision and I’d hate to be the one making that decision, so I’m glad I’m not on that committee.”
Surtain has little doubt about the outcome. He believes Hunter will “obviously” be the deserving winner on Saturday. From there, Denver’s superstar cornerback is eager to watch Hunter’s career unfold in the NFL. Debate will rage in the months to come about which side of the ball should be the focus for Hunter, but Surtain doesn’t think Hunter will have to choose.
“The ball is in his court,” Surtain said. “I believe he can do whatever he puts his mind to. He’s shown it at the collegiate level. I think he can definitely play both ways.”
(Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images)
