Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
3 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 4 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / A few years ago, Terrance Alexander Cunningham couldn't miss. The Georgia native was coming off his freshman season at Providence Chris- tian Academy when his first offer arrived. It was the day after Christmas in 2020. More notably, it came from in-state pow- erhouse Georgia. He continued to look the part as a soph- omore right up the road at Johns Creek High School. Cunningham finished the year with 22 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. By that time, everyone had offered. Penn State was a part of that group, coming along in August 2021. With the offers came notoriety, and the elevated profile of a potential five- star prospect brought with it so much more than football. Pushing 6-foot-5, he was tough to miss. Cunningham debuted on one service as the No. 4 prospect na- tionally. Everyone wanted a piece of Cunning- ham. That included those closest to him. Cunningham was moved to California with the prospect of making NIL money at the high school level. He ended up at Los Alamitos High, a stone's throw from the Long Beach Airport. Cunningham also ended up ineligible. The California Interscholastic Federation ruled that his transfer did not meet the necessary guidelines, and his suspension cost him the first five games of the season. By the time Cunningham was cleared to play, his impact was not what it had been at previous stops. He played in seven games in 2022, recording 17 tackles, in- cluding 2 for loss, and a forced fumble. Cunningham moved back east to Miami (Fla.) Central before his senior year, then another move led him back to Georgia, where he lived with his mother. Along the way, his recruitment fizzled. By the summer of 2023, only a few schools were in contact on a regular basis. Penn State was part of that group and ended up as the only school that would host him for an official visit. "They were always a school that was there to support me," Cunningham told BWI. "When I just needed to talk to some- body because I was feeling down about not being able to play or whatever it was, they were just always there. I could sense just how genuine they were throughout that whole process. It definitely played a role in my decision." The Nittany Lions were willing to take a chance. There aren't a lot of players with Cunningham's size, and James Franklin likes his potential. "When you talk about whether it's moving high schools or limited film based on injuries, we just want to make sure we can understand the reasons behind all those things," Franklin explained. "The thing that's great about T.A. and his fam- ily is that they've been totally transparent about all those things. "We're thorough and detailed with ev- erything that we do. So, here's a guy who had some challenges that he had to over- come … but at the end of the day, that body type, those traits and those skills are still there." — Sean Fitz Cunningham hopes to be back in action at PSU this spring after missing his final high school season with an injury. PHOTO COURTESY T.A. CUNNINGHAM T.A. CUNNINGHAM One-time five-star prospect's journey lands him at Penn State DT | 6-5 | 252 Grayson Atlanta Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 575 52 66 On3 ★★★ — 58 79 ESPN ★★★ — 50 59 Rivals ★★★ — 29 84 247Sports ★★★ — 63 61 Statistics • Had 17 tackles, including 2 for loss, and a forced fumble while playing in seven games as a junior at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High • Totaled 22 tackles for loss and 7 sacks as a sophomore at Johns Creek (Ga.) High Notable • Earned his first offer, from Georgia, as a freshman at Providence Christian Academy in 2020 • Moved to California for his junior season but was ruled ineligible due to a transfer and played in only seven games • Missed his senior year at Grayson (Ga.) High after undergoing surgery Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on July 22, 2023 • Recruited by defensive line coach Deion Barnes • Picked PSU over Miami and Texas A&M • Officially visited on June 16, 2023 2024 Projection Cunningham's Penn State journey started in January as an early enrollee. He's still working back from the surgery that cost him his senior season, and he hopes to be ready for spring practice. This is still a long-term project. He's a guy who will need a redshirt year. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "He has a massive frame with great reach numbers, but will need to add weight, obviously. The other aspects of his athletic profile are hard to assess. His transfers across the country and an injury his senior season make it virtually impossible to know what sort of athlete he's developed into. "With a deep defensive line class around him, Cunningham will have time to learn the game and grow into whatever role he ends up filling. His ceiling is that of a superstar defensive line- man, but his floor is equally low." T H E C U N N I N G H A M F I L E