As Purdue’s No. 3 cornerback last season, Da’Wan Hunte took about 700 fewer snaps than Anthony Brown and Frankie Williams.

But he did take snaps, about 140 of them, making him the Boilermakers’ most experienced returning corner this spring.

And he’s playing like it.

The junior has multiple pass breakups, including a near-interception on Tuesday, through the first nine practices, helping himself solidify – most likely – one of the two open cornerback positions.

“He’s had a great spring, a great spring,” fellow cornerback Myles Norwood said after Purdue’s practice Tuesday. “And he’s not done. We have (six) practices left, so he’s having a great spring and hopefully can keep it up.”

Hunte’s experienced, but not overly so. Last season, he started the year as an outside corner – Williams would move inside in the five-DB sets – but then moved inside to the nickel later in the year, getting in for a dozen or so snaps per Saturday.

Still, being on the field, regardless of position, has helped him now, when he’s trying to convert to an every-snap defender on the perimeter.

“Having game experience is a factor,” said Hunte, who had 18 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble last season. “Just this spring, I wanted to come in and focus on getting better each and every day. I learned a lot from those guys in the past – Frank, AB, as well as Ricardo (Allen) – but I just have to come up every day and know it’s my time to step up to the plate.

“I can only control what I can, and that’s working hard every day to show that I can be that guy. I’m not going to say that I’m the best out here, anything like that, but my main job is the lead the group, lead the team, and do all I can to help us win.”

Hunte is certainly being tested, as the 5-foot-9, 188-pounder is matched up frequently with senior receiver DeAngelo Yancey. It might not look like an advantageous scenario for Hunte – Yancey is five inches taller and almost 30 pounds heavier – but the corner has won his share of one-on-one battles in the spring.

Last week, Hunte had a couple breakups on deep throws to Yancey, leaping up to knock the passes away. And during a perimeter drill Tuesday, he dove in front of a low throw intended for Yancey, breaking up the pass. Had he been able to pull the ball in as well, he would have stopped the drive inside the red zone and prevented a touchdown.

“My main focus is to come out here and get better every rep,” Hunte said. “Have to take advantage of the opportunity. I feel like I’m progressing. It’s not good enough. I’ve got to make sure I make that play, like Coach (Darrell) Hazell always preaches, dropped interceptions lead to touchdowns, and that’s exactly what happened. So I’ve got to make sure I finish plays, make the makeable plays, so every day is an opportunity to get better.”

Hunte likes taking on Yancey, feeling like it’s going to give him a good view of what he’ll face on Saturdays in the fall. Then, it’ll be a regular assignment, likely taking on a receiver who is taller, thicker and potentially more physical.

“Being on the outside playing corner, you’re going to be matched up against bigger receivers,” he said. “(DeAngelo) definitely has that body type and is faster than some people think, so he’s definitely given me a challenge out there. Every day is a battle.

“… It’s made me a better player, so definitely the competition is every day. We shake hands and laugh in the locker room, but we come out here and it’s all business. Just trying to get each other better, so we, as a group, can win. Like I’ve told my teammates, on Saturdays, we don’t play against each other. We have to come out here every day and make each other better, so that whoever we face, we’ll be ready.”

Norwood has liked seeing Hunte step into a leadership role, something that could have been missing from the cornerbacks’ room following the departure of strong personalities like Brown and Williams.

But after four years at Purdue, Hunte is growing more comfortable, both in the room and on the field.

“He’s allowing his experience, as well as his smarts – because he’s very, very football smart – to take over,” corners coach Taver Johnson said, “so that allows him to get in better position at times. He’s had some times where he’s been too relaxed and that’s cost him too, but he has to find a happy medium there. But the game experience, there’s nothing like it, and that’s one thing he has.”

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