Kansas Football Loses Top-Ranked 2026 Recruit

The Kansas Jayhawks’ 2026 recruiting class took a major hit this week after losing its top-ranked prospect.

Four-star safety James (JJ) Dunnigan Jr. announced his decommitment from KU on Monday via a post on social media. He’s the No. 136-ranked player in the country and the No. 2 ranked player in Kansas behind four-star Notre Dame tight end commit Ian Premer, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings on On3.com (a ranking that averages all three major recruiting services).

“After much prayer and thoughtful conversations with my family, I’ve decided to decommit from the University of Kansas,” he shared 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.”

It’s a big loss for the program as Dunnigan has future pro written all over him. The 6-foot-2 Under Armour All-American is now reportedly considering Miami (FL) and Colorado with visits already set to both schools.

Dunnigan’s decommitment drops KU’s class to No. 45 in the country and eighth in the Big 12 as college football’s Early Signing Period is quickly approaching Dec. 3-5.

The Dunnigan news comes after Kansas got embarrassed on Saturday in a 42-17 loss to in-state rival Kansas State with multiple recruits on hand to watch in person.

The chatter among the Jayhawk fan community on social media is that NIL money was the primary factor in his decision and not the team’s recent performance. But it certainly wasn’t a game that would instill confidence for anyone who watched, and KU now appears to be trending downward following back-to-back beatdowns at the hands of K-State and Texas Tech.

Luckily, the Jayhawks still hold verbal commitments from some of the best players in the Sunflower State, including four-star offensive lineman Kaden Snyder (No. 3 in Kansas), three-star defensive end Hunter Higgins (No. 5 in Kansas), three-star linebacker Joshua Galbreath (No. 7 in Kansas), and three-star wide receivers Nate Sims (No. 8 in Kansas) and Tyren Parker (No. 10 in Kansas).

Retaining the commitments of this 19-man class – especially this crop of talented Kansas kids – will be crucial for the KU coaching staff. These are the types of players who can help win games like the Sunflower Showdown in the future.

If KU compiles more losses like they did on Saturday, Dunnigan may not be the last Kansas commit to change his mind.