Manhattan High senior standout JJ Dunnigan announced Sunday that he has committed to the University of Miami, two weeks after decommitting from Kansas.
Dunnigan, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2026 and one of the top-ranked players in Kansas, shared the news on social media Sunday afternoon.
“All glory to God for blessing me with the strength and guidance to reach this point,” Dunnigan wrote. “Thank you to my family for sticking by my side, and thank you to the coaches that believed in me. With that being said, I’m committed to the University of Miami.”
Dunnigan originally committed to Kansas on Jan. 2, choosing the Jayhawks over Kansas State, Nebraska, Stanford, Illinois and others. His recruitment, however, continued to accelerate over the past year. Since the summer, Dunnigan added offers from Colorado, Miami, Georgia Tech and Florida, among others.
He decommitted from KU on Oct. 27, reopening his recruitment. Miami made a strong push in recent weeks, especially with its track record at producing NFL talent, something that resonated with Dunnigan and his long-term goals.
“Miami has a lot of energy, and they’ve got a lot of guys who went to the NFL — and that’s my ultimate goal, to go to the NFL,” Dunnigan said last week. “So I want to be developed and learn from those guys.”
This season, Dunnigan has played in six games while battling an early-season injury, but has been one of the most explosive players in Class 6A when healthy. He has 11 receptions for 261 yards and six touchdowns on offense, averaging 23.7 yards per catch, while adding 31 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss on defense.
He has also been a standout on special teams, scoring two punt-return touchdowns with multiple long returns despite limited looks as opponent’s rarely kick his way.
Dunnigan is one the three Dunnigan brothers to play a key role in Manhattan’s recent seasons. The oldest brother, Chris, was a senior contributor during the Indians’ 2022 6A state championship run. The youngest brother, Adonis, is currently a freshman earning varsity time in the secondary. They are sons of former K-State defensive back James Dunnigan.
Dunnigan’s commitment comes as Manhattan prepares for the sectional round of the 6A playoffs next week at No. 1 seed Maize.
A verbal commitment is non-binding, and Dunnigan won’t be locked in officially with the Hurricanes until he signs a national letter of intent during the early signing period in December 2025 or National Signing Day on February 2026.
For now, Dunnigan returns to focus on the postseason — where Manhattan’s secondary, with him at full strength, has looked like one of the best in the state.