The Kansas Jayhawks have secured a contract from 2026 three-star athlete JJ Dunnigan, they announced at the Under Armor National Game on Thursday.
Dunnigan, a 6'2'', 185 pound defensive back from Manhattan, Kansas, chose the Jayhawks over in-state schools Kansas State, Nebraska and Stanford.
Dunnigan was originally scheduled to announce his decision on January 1st, but due to the opportunity to play in the National Game, he delayed his decision by one day and instead announced his decision live at Thursday's event.
Looking ahead to his decision earlier this week, Dunnigan cited location as a recruiting focus, given that the finalists include Nebraska and two other in-state schools. It was natural.
Dunnigan visited all three schools this fall and even visited Nebraska multiple times before the new year.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back is projected as a cornerback, but as he announced on Thursday's broadcast, he plays both ways and harbors ambitions to become the next two-way college football player. are.
He now closed his recruitment early and chose one of the local schools, rather than one that had family ties and was closer.
There was talk of Kansas State, as the defensive back attended high school less than three miles away and his father, James Dunnigan, was a cornerback at Kansas State in the early 2000s. Dunnigan was thought to be able to follow in his father's footsteps, but he is carving his own path at another school in the state.
Dunnigan shines with a powerful blend of length and speed, which was on display throughout his high school career and during practice for this week's Under Armor National Game.
Both of Dunnigan's ideas have been more welcome in college football lately, since Colorado star Travis Hunter has gained notoriety for his transfers in recent years and won the Heisman Trophy this season. The desire to play in a way is interesting.
Defensively, however, Dunnigan, who is listed as both a safety and a cornerback, has the ability to move all over the field given his size and speed, opening him up to early playing time when he arrives on campus. There is a possibility. In 2026.
He will be the third player in the 2026 class to commit to Kansas, joining three-star cornerback Lenny Brown and quarterback Jalen Mason.
He is the second of four players to appear in the Under Armor All-American Game, joining four-star wide receiver Donovan Murph, who reclassified from the 2026 class to the 2025 class and committed to South Carolina. It will be.
