The Kansas football coaching staff won the battle for a key recruit on Thursday when JJ Dunnigan, a defensive back in the class of 2026, selected the Jayhawks over Kansas State, Nebraska, Stanford and others.
Dunnigan is a three-star prospect who plays at Manhattan High School, and the son of former K-State defensive back James Dunnigan. He made his announcement during the first quarter of the Under Armour Next All-America Game, which was played at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand, Florida, as he became part of the first group of juniors to take part in the annual game.
“We’re building something special there, and I’m going to have the ability to play both ways,” Dunnigan said of KU on the ESPN2 broadcast.
Among numerous other visits, he recently made it out to Lawrence for the KU men’s basketball game against N.C. State on Dec. 14. Rivals lists Dunnigan as a 6-foot-3, 190-pound safety who is the No. 4 player in Kansas and No. 50 safety in the nation.
Dunnigan is the third overall commitment in KU’s 2026 group, a year away from signing day and before the 2025 freshmen have even arrived on campus, and he is also the second in-state addition after Jaylen Mason, a quarterback from Wichita Northwest. The Jayhawks’ other pledge is Lennie “Trey” Brown, a cornerback from Tustin, California.
During his junior season at Manhattan, he tallied 65 total tackles with six pass breakups and three interceptions, according to MaxPreps. Dunnigan also racked up 556 receiving yards and five touchdowns and was a standout returner.
Besides his finalists, he had offers from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah and Wisconsin, among others. Colorado State gave him his first Division I offer a year ago and K-State soon followed.
Talent evaluators praise the fluidity of Dunnigan’s movement, especially given his size. John Garcia Jr. of Rivals wrote on Monday that Dunnigan “changes direction well and has a natural stride when he elects to hunt the football,” while 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins assessed him on Tuesday, noting that at All-America practice he “showcased the ability to make some dynamic turns and hang with quick-footed wide receivers in a best-on-best setting.”
Ivins added that Dunnigan could be a “potential multi-year starter that will likely need some seasoning before he’s ready to go on Saturdays, but one that has the traits to morph into an impact defender.”
KU recently made the first collegiate offer to Dunnigan’s younger brother Adonis “Donnie” Dunnigan, who is a member of the class of 2029.
