Can CU Buffs’ Travis Hunter be two-way star in NFL? Pat Surtain II, Broncos don’t doubt it: “He’s a different type of athlete”

Game recognizes game.

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II knows what it’s like to be one of the best cornerbacks in college football. What he doesn’t know is what it’s like to also be one of the best wide receivers in college football.

And that’s what makes CU Buffs’ dual-threat star Travis Hunter different.

Hunter is unlike anything Surtain has ever seen. It’s breathtaking for Surtain to watch the 21-year-old secure an interception at cornerback, then line up as a wide receiver and make opposing secondaries look silly in the same game.

“He’s a different type of athlete,” Surtain told The Denver Post.

Surtain and many of his Bronco teammates have been amazed by Hunter, who is widely considered the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. He is a finalist alongside Oregon quarterback Dillion Gabriel, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty — Hunter’s biggest competition for the award — with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns.

Surtain, however, made it clear that Hunter — college football’s unicorn — should win the award, which would make him just the second Buffs player to win the award and the first since the late Rashaan Salaam in 1994.

“(Hunter’s) talent speaks for himself,” Surtain told The Post. “What you see out there on the field is a testament to how hard he works. He’s going to be a top-three pick (in the 2025 NFL draft).”

Ahead of Denver’s game against Cleveland, Surtain said CU gave him and wide receiver Courtland Sutton T-shirts that featured Hunter striking the Heisman pose with the script “He12man” written on the front. But Surtain didn’t need a shirt, which he wore pregame, to express his support for the two-way star.

Surtain has been a fan since Hunter was a five-star recruit at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. A friend told Surtain about the marvels of Hunter, leading him to look up Hunter’s highlight reel.

“It was pretty eye-opening,” said Surtain. “He’s doing the same thing (now) he did in high school. It’s incredible to see.”

The two players don’t have a personal connection, but Surtain said he’s been in contact with Hunter through social media. The respect for each other’s game is strong.

Hunter recently appeared on “The Pivot Podcast,” where he said Surtain, his coach Deion Sanders and former Seahawks star Richard Sherman were his top three cornerbacks of all time.

“(He’s) just a technician,” Hunter said of Surtain. “He’s so relaxed. He (doesn’t) ever get rattled.”

Surtain is not one to dwell on accolades or praise. However, being only 24 and hearing Hunter call him one of the best cornerbacks to play the game meant a lot.

“That’s pretty cool, especially hearing it from a guy like him, who’s playing at a high level,” Surtain said.

Surtain and other Broncos players were asked to put on their general manager hats and answer a question that will follow Hunter from now through next April’s draft: Should he play wide receiver or cornerback at the next level?

Hunter has already expressed his desire to play full-time on offense and defense in the League. His numbers this season at receiver (92 catches, 1,152 yards, 14 TDs) and cornerback (32 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defended) certainly suggest he can do both.

But doing both at that high of a level in the pros is another matter altogether.

Surtain had to ponder the question for the moment because he thinks Hunter has the potential to be an impact player at either position.

“He’s talented enough (to play both positions),” Surtain said. “At receiver, he has incredible ball skills. But at defensive back, you rarely see it. … It’s so natural. It’s very hard to find corners that can do the stuff he does.”

Broncos starting safety P.J. Locke said without hesitation that he would draft Hunter if he was running a team, then let him play wideout and cornerback.

“Why make him one-dimensional?” Locke said. “He can track the ball offensively, and he can play corner. Let him do what he does best.”

Added rookie wideout Troy Franklin: “He can do it, bro. … He’s a ball player.”

Broncos inside linebacker Justin Strnad, who aspires to be a general manager after his playing career, was a bit more measured. The Wake Forest product said he would start Hunter at cornerback while incorporating him in a limited number of offensive packages as a wide receiver to manage his workload.

“For his career’s sake, I would want him to play for a long time,” Strnad said.

Wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey agreed with Strnad but added that he might let Hunter spend time as a returner to give him more touches. He also expressed concern for Hunter playing both ways, given the physicality of the pro level.

“It’s grown men,” Humphrey said. “Everybody doesn’t know what they’re doing in college. But everybody is good in the NFL. They’ve been in the weight room, they’re strong and explosive. The hits are a little different.”

Of course, as Surtain said, Hunter is different, too.

For many of the Broncos players, the most impressive thing is his endurance. One hundred snaps a game is grueling — at any level.

“I don’t know how he does it,” Locke said. “I probably have to hit him up on Instagram to figure out his (workout) regimen. I wish I had that type of stamina.”

Said Strnad: “I’ve been (playing) in this altitude for four years and I still struggle breathing. All credit to him.”

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