The Kansas football team has lost the defensive back who have been its highest-rated player in the 2026 recruiting class.
JJ Dunnigan, who originally committed to KU in January and then affirmed in May that he had shut down his recruitment, announced on Monday that he has decommitted.
“After much prayer and thoughtful conversations with my family, I’ve decided to decommit from the University of Kansas,” Dunnigan wrote in a post on X. “I’m truly grateful for everything the coaches and staff have done for me and for the way they’ve treated me throughout this process. This was not an easy decision, but I believe it’s the best one for me and my future.”
The initial acquisition of Dunnigan in January, when he picked KU over Kansas State, Nebraska, Stanford and others, was at the time a major in-state recruiting coup for the Jayhawks, and helped set off a series of commitments from Kansan players during the winter. Dunnigan, who planned to play both sides of the ball during his time in Lawrence, also said that he attempted to play an active role in recruiting his contemporaries to join the Jayhawks.
The defensive back from Manhattan, an Under Armour Next All-America Game participant, continued to receive offers from nationally prominent programs in the months after his initial commitment, but on May 16 declared that he was “born and raised, here to stay” and posted a graphic indicating he had shut down his recruitment.
Dunnigan acknowledged receiving additional offers from Colorado and Georgia Tech in recent weeks but until Monday, he had indeed stayed locked in with KU. He was in attendance over the weekend along with much of the 2026 recruiting class for KU’s 42-17 loss to Kansas State at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Shortly after his decommitment on Monday, 247Sports reported that Dunnigan had set up an official visit to Miami.
With the loss of Dunnigan, KU has 19 commitments in its class of 2026, including six from the state of Kansas, led by offensive lineman Kaden Snyder of Salina Central. Just 22 minutes after Dunnigan’s announcement, Maize South edge rusher Hunter Higgins posted, “Can’t wait to bring glory to the name on the front of this jersey! I love this state. I love this family. I love these coaches. I love these fans. Rock Chalk!”
