2026 cornerback James Dunnigan, Jr. has seen his recruitment pick up this summer as the Manhattan (Kans.) High School has hit prospect camps.

Kansas State was the first Power 4 school to offer Dunnigan after he impressed at a high school prospect camp. Later in the summer, Dunnigan also picked up offers from Kansas and Nebraska.

"It meant a lot," Dunnigan said regarding his offer from K-State. "I was really excited since I grew up here and always went to K-State games. So, it kind of felt like a dream."

While Dunnigan admits that he's still in the early stages of his recruitment, schools like K-State have made it known that they intend to make Dunnigan a top priority in next year's cycle. And it seems that Dunnigan is returning a level of mutual interest, as he recently took an unofficial visit as the Wildcats opened up fall camp.

"The visit was really good," Dunnigan said. "I got to see how the DBs practice in a real practice setting because it was their first day. You see how Coach [Van] Malone focuses on the little things, and see how Avery Johnson is the leader of the team."

Dunnigan's visit didn't just give him a deeper understanding of how the team practices. It also allowed him to get some insight from a pair of current K-State commits.

2025 tight end Linkon Cure and cornerback RJ Collins are some of K-State's more recent commitments, and the pair were also on hand for the beginning of practice. The two offer a unique perspective for Dunnigan as they are either from Kansas or play high school football close by.

"I asked them why they committed," Dunnigan said. "And they said they felt really comfortable with the coaching staff. And they knew K-State had a great community built around it, and they just love the town."

With Dunnigan expected to play cornerback at the next level, his main source of contact with K-State has been cornerbacks coach Van Malone. When asked about Malone, Dunnigan mentioned that they've built a strong connection early on.

"Our relationship is good," he explained. "What stands out about it is he has a good relationship with my dad too. So, he doesn't just care about my football life but also my personal life as well."

Dunnigan's father, James Sr., finished his college career at K-State, signing with the Wildcats in 2001. Now, it's the younger Dunnigan's opportunity to go through the recruiting process.

With four offers already, there's a good chance that Dunnigan will see his stock skyrocket as he finishes his junior year. That potential is part of the reason why Dunnigan won't name any early favorites or finalists. However, he did mention that there's a chance he will narrow down his list at the end of this season.

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