Pat Shurmur knows the NFL.
Only briefly a college assistant coach in the 1990s, Shurmur then engineered an NFL coaching career that spanned more than two decades and saw him ultimately rise to serve in a head coaching capacity with three different franchises: Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and as interim head man for the Philadelphia Eagles.
So when Shurmur says he's likely already spoken with every NFL team about one of the star players in his current operation, as offensive coordinator for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, it's easy to take Shurmur at face value.
And it's easy to see how all 32 NFL teams would call Shurmur to get the straight talk on transcendent Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter in advance of the 2025 NFL Draft, during which Hunter is widely projected as a top-five pick.
"I've said this probably to all 32 NFL teams, but he has some superpowers," Shurmur told reporters Tuesday after the 4-1 Buffaloes wrapped up practice. "And his most obvious one is his ball skills. So when you're playing corner, it's very, very important that you affect the ball. He gets interceptions as a defensive player.
"But he knows where he's supposed to be, he makes tackles when it's time to tackle. So, anytime you can affect the ball, I think that's really good."
Hunter has notched highlight-reel plays on both sides of the ball already in this season's opening month, extending his school-record mark of consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards to five, snagging a pair of interceptions and sealing the overtime-win against Baylor two weeks ago with a fumble-inducing tackle at theg goal line.
"Aside from all he does, his ball skills -- anytime there's a ball in the air near him, we've got a really good chance he's going to catch it whether he's playing offense or defense," Shurmur said.
Which is why the NFL personnel Shurmur is visiting with aren't only examining Hunter for either offense or defense.
"Both (sides of the ball)," Shurmur said of the scouting reports. "I think any team is going to be lucky to have Travis and then they just have to decide where they want to play him. He's displaying every week why he could be an impact player on both sides of the ball. Those are the decisions that the teams, teams as they prepare for the Draft, or the team that actually chooses him what they're going to do.
"But he's showing everybody that he could play on offense or defense."
Open this week, Colorado returns to action under the lights at Folson Field Oct. 12 against Big 12 foe Kansas State.
Already matching their win total from Deion Sanders's 2023 debut season atop the program, Colorado needs to secure at least two more wins to secure postseason eligibility -- something the Buffaloes have only three times since 2007.