In January, the Kansas Jayhawks received huge news when five-star safety James "JJ" Dunnigan Jr. committed to head coach Lance Leipold and his program. Now, that commitment is even further solidified after just one weekend.
After his official visit to Lawrence, Dunnigan took to social media to express his excitement to join the program, referring to the Jayhawks as "home."
"Thank you, KU, for a great weekend with great people. This is home and we will continue to build..." Dunnigan wrote on X, "I look forward to hitting [the Heisman] pose one day."
Thank you KU for a great weekend with great people. This is home and we will continue to build 🧱…
— James (JJ) Dunnigan jr (@jj_dunniganjr) June 9, 2025
I look forward to hitting this pose one day. #agtg #ku pic.twitter.com/YcabcB3HEb
Dunnigan is Leipold's lone five-star commitment from the class of 2026 recruits, which ranks No. 26 in the nation, according to On3.
Kansas football class of 2026 commitments
- James Dunnigan Jr., five-star safety
- Kory Amachree, four-star running back
- Hunter Higgins, three-star EDGE
- Landen Anderson, three-star defensive lineman
- Kaden Snyder, three-star interior offensive lineman
- Joshua Galbreath, three-star linebacker
- Kaden Moody, three-star offensive tackle
- Draeden Punt, three-star EDGE
- Corbin Glasco, three-star wide receiver
- Joseph Credit, three-star linebacker
- Jack Utz, three-star tight end
- Tyren Parker, three-star wide receiver
- Lennie Brown, three-star cornerback
- Malachi Mills, three-star offensive tackle
- Nate Sims, three-star wide receiver
- Jaulen Mason, three-star quarterback
The Jayhawks' class of 2026 lands Kansas as the No. 2 team in the Big 12 for the recruiting cycle, a drastic improvement from Leipold's 2025 class, which ranks 71st nationally and 16th in the conference.
Kansas is set to begin its 2025 campaign with a matchup against the Fresno State Bulldogs in Week 0. The game is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 23, and will be aired on FOX.
Last season, Leipold led the Jayhawks to a disappointing 5-7 overall record despite many preseason polls placing Kansas in the Top 25. This season will be Leipold's fifth year with the program, and so far, he has led the Jayhawks to a 22-28 overall record, including just one winning season in 2023, when they defeated the UNLV Rebels in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.