Freshman safety JJ Dunnigan is wasting no time making himself at home in Miami’s secondary. After only five games, he’s already turned into one of the Hurricanes’ most intriguing defensive pieces, and Bryce Fitzgerald says the staff saw this coming long before the rest of the country caught up.
“I’ve been saying it since the spring; he’s a hidden gem,” Fitzgerald told the media in Wednesday’s media availability through Zoom. “He’s not hidden anymore.”
Dunnigan’s early résumé is plenty loud. He has 17 total tackles, with eight solo stops and nine assists, plus a fumble recovery and a pick-six against Clemson in Miami’s 41-13 win at Death Valley (Memorial Stadium). He’s done all of that in 187 total defensive snaps.
The 18-year-old arrived in Coral Gables with a strong reputation. Dunnigan was a four-star safety and the No. 115 player nationally, according to 247Sports Composite, ranking as a top-15 safety in the 2026 class. He starred at Manhattan High School in Riley County, Kansas, where he put together 151 total tackles, 69 solos, 82 assists, eight tackles for loss, a sack and four interceptions across 34 games, according to MaxPreps.
His path to Miami changed late in the recruiting process. Dunnigan was originally committed to Kansas before flipping to the Hurricanes in early November of 2025, ahead of December’s National Signing Day.
Miami’s willingness to trust freshmen has helped speed up the process, and Dunnigan landed in a room with plenty of experience around him. The Hurricanes brought back most of last season’s secondary, losing only corner/nickelback Keionte Scott and safety Jakobe Thomas, who were both late-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft.
Even with that veteran presence, Dunnigan found a role quickly because Miami needed him. He has started three games so far this season - against Florida A&M, Wake Forest and Central Michigan - as injuries hit the secondary. He also showed he can move around, getting time at nickelback.
Through 10 snaps, Dunnigan has generated five snaps, the second-most among Miami’s defensive backs, trailing only junior corner/safety/nickelback Omar Thornton, who has 11.
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