Surtain II came to Alabama as a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked as the top cornerback nationally by all major recruiting outlets in 2018. As a senior at American Heritage high school in Plantation, Florida, Surtain II was a Second Team All-American selection by MaxPreps and First Team All-USA Florida selection by USA Today. He helped lead his high school to back-to-back 5A state titles in his junior and senior seasons.