“He was 4-stars this morning”: CFB fans left confused as Texas commit Jonathan Cunningham’s ranking drops post commitment

By Aman Sharma

Modified Jul 13, 2024 14:24 GMT

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The college football recruiting landscape was perplexed following the commitment of four-star outside linebacker Jonathan Cunningham to Texas. Initially celebrated as a four-star recruit, Cunningham's ranking plummeted shortly after his announcement on Friday, leaving fans and analysts bewildered.

After committing to coach Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns, Cunningham's ranking apparently dropped from four stars to three stars across several recruiting sites, including 247Sports.

This abrupt change puzzled many fans on Instagram, many of whom decided to voice their concern.

"He was four stars this morning," one wrote.

"He was a four-star ranked kid when we woke up this morning," another posted.

ig@horns247

This sudden downgrade raised questions about the factors influencing his new ranking. Here is how other fans expressed their reactions:

Ig@ horns247

A few other fans expressed their excitement about his commitment to Texas:

Ig@ steezodsgn

Jonathan Cunningham chose Texas over other schools such as Utah and TCU, having recently completed official visits to these programs. His visit itinerary included Kansas on June 21, Utah on June 7 and TCU on May 3, with his Texas visit occurring on June 14.

During his last season at North Crowley, Jonathan Cunningham recorded 38 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack and six quarterback hurries, aiding his team to a 14-1 record and a 6A State semifinal appearance.

As the 14th commitment to Texas' 2025 class and the second linebacker, Jonathan Cunningham joins four-star Elijah Barnes and follows recent commits such as edge rusher Smith Orogbo and cornerback Kade Phillips.

Jonathan Cunningham headlines Texas Longhorns' impressive 2025 recruiting class

Jonathan Cunningham, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound linebacker from Fort Worth, Texas, received primary recruitment attention from Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen, who joined the program this offseason.

Cunningham, who accumulated 19 offers from various high schools, ultimately selected Texas over TCU and Utah. He is currently ranked as the 24th OLB in the 2025 class.

Jonathan Cunningham, a standout at North Crowley High School, boasts impressive physical stats: a 34.5-inch arm span and an almost 80-inch wingspan.

His dual-threat capability in both pass coverage and run defense made him a prized addition to Texas' 2025 class, boosting the Longhorns recruiting team rankings to No. 33.

The Texas Longhorns have bolstered their 2025 recruiting class with several key additions. Leading the May recruits is four-star running back James Simon from Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist, one of five top-200 pledges for coach Steve Sarkisian.

Other notable commitments include four-star athlete Lance Jackson from Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove and four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey from Saraland (Ala.).

On July 1, four-star EDGE Smith Orogbo from Houston Alief Hastings joined the class, following the April commitment of Dallas Skyline four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes. Additional top recruits include four-star running back Rickey Stewart Jr. from Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill and four-star tight end Emaree Winston from Calhoun (Ga.).

Three-star interior offensive lineman Jackson Christian from Port Neches (Texas) Groves, twin three-stars Jordan and Devin Coleman from Cedar Hill, Texas, and San Francisco St. Ignatius three-star John Mills, the No. 32 player at his position, round out the impressive class.