Caleb Cunningham
| No. 3 – Ole Miss Rebels | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 30, 2005 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Choctaw County (Ackerman, Mississippi) |
| College | Ole Miss (2025–present) |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Caleb Joe'l Cunningham (born December 30, 2005) is an American college football wide receiver for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Early life
[edit]Cunningham was born on December 30, 2005, to Lynn and Bettie Cunningham.[1] He preferred basketball growing up, but said that a coach told him: "All your money's gonna be in football."[2]
Cunningham attended Choctaw County High School in Ackerman, Mississippi, where he played four years of high school football.[1] As a junior, he had 48 receptions for 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns, breaking the school records for most receptions and receiving yards in a single season.[3] As a senior, Cunningham recorded 43 catches, 877 receiving yards, 123 rushing yards, and 14 total touchdowns.[4] He helped the Chargers compile a 14–1 record and win their first Mississippi High School Activities Association state championship, catching a touchdown pass in a 34–27 win over a Kamario Taylor-led Noxubee County High School in the Class 3A title game.[5][6] Cunningham was selected to the Mississippi roster for the 38th annual Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic[7] (though he did not play due to injury[8]) and was named to the 2024 Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen.[9] He was also a two-time first-team Class 3A all-state selection by both the Clarion Ledger[3][4] and the Mississippi Association of Coaches.[10][11]
Cunningham was a multi-sport athlete at Choctaw County. He scored over 1,500 career points and was named the Starkville Daily News All-Area Basketball Player of the Year as a junior. Cunningham also participated in track and field. He was a Mississippi 2A state qualifier in the triple jump and the long jump as a sophomore.[12]
Recruiting
[edit]Cunningham was rated as a consensus four-star recruit. He was also ranked as a consensus top-60 prospect nationally in the class of 2025.[13] In January 2024, Cunningham reduced the list of his college offers down to his top 12 choices.[14] In June, he narrowed it down to his top six choices: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.[15] On July 13, Cunningham committed to playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.[16][17] Following Alabama's upset loss to Vanderbilt that season, he said it "really shocked the crap out of [him]".[18] On November 13, Cunningham flipped his commitment to the Ole Miss Rebels, remaining in his home state.[19][20][21] He signed with the Rebels the following month.[22]
College career
[edit]As a freshman in 2025, Cunningham played three games and had one reception for 19 yards, preserving his redshirt.[23] His season was limited by injuries.[24] Heading into the 2026 season, Cunningham competed for a backup role in a crowded wide receivers group.[25][26]
Personal life
[edit]Cunningham is from Weir, Mississippi.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Caleb Cunningham - Football". Ole Miss Rebels. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Chavez, Michael (August 18, 2024). "Meet Caleb Cunningham, five-star Alabama football commit and top recruit in Mississippi". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- 1 2 Chavez, Michael (December 6, 2023). "Meet The Clarion-Ledger's Small Class All-State high school football team for 2023 season". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- 1 2 Chavez, Michael (December 17, 2024). "Meet The Clarion Ledger's Small Class All-State high school football team for 2024 season". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Chavez, Michael (December 5, 2024). "Mississippi high school football championship score: Choctaw County defeats Noxubee County for Class 3A title". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Chavez, Michael (December 5, 2024). "Choctaw County, Caleb Cunningham get emotional first state title win, beat Noxubee County". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Chavez, Michael (October 2, 2024). "Mississippi vs Alabama All-Star Football, Bernard Blackwell Classic rosters announced". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Kennedy, Randy (December 11, 2024). "Auburn signees will be in spotlight for Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game". AL.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Chavez, Michael (August 18, 2024). "Meet the 2024 Dandy Dozen, Mississippi's top recruits for Class of 2025". Clarion Ledger. p. C1, C2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Shields, Brandon (December 8, 2023). "MAC all-state football teams". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Shields, Brandon (December 7, 2024). "2024 Mississippi Coaches All-State Football Teams". Capital Sports MS. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Caleb Cunningham, Choctaw County, Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Caleb Cunningham - Choctaw County - Wide Receiver". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Simmons, Chad (January 29, 2024). "2025 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham announces his top 12 schools". On3.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Simmons, Chad (June 25, 2024). "5-star WR Caleb Cunningham announces top six schools". On3.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Jeyarajah, Shehan (July 13, 2024). "Alabama football recruiting: Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham commits to Crimson Tide in 2025 class". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Smith III, Kennington (July 13, 2024). "Alabama lands 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham, highest-rated recruit in Crimson Tide's 2025 class". The Athletic. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Gay, Colin (October 8, 2024). "How 2025 5-star WR commit Caleb Cunningham responded to Alabama football loss to Vanderbilt". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Raynor, Grace (November 13, 2024). "Ole Miss flips in-state 5-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham from Alabama". The Athletic. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Lederman, Eli (November 13, 2024). "Ole Miss flips WR recruit Caleb Cunningham from Alabama". ESPN. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Gay, Colin (November 13, 2024). "5-star WR Caleb Cunningham flips Alabama football to Ole Miss. What we know". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Football Signs Top 15 Recruiting Class". Ole Miss Rebels. December 5, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hutchens, Sam (March 24, 2026). "Who will Trinidad Chambliss throw to in 2026? A look at Ole Miss' new receiver room". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hodges, Taylor (August 26, 2026). "A healthy Caleb Cunningham has Pete Golding excited". HottyToddy.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hutchens, Sam (August 27, 2026). "Ole Miss football final depth chart projections before 2026 opener". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hodges, Taylor (September 9, 2026). "Ole Miss releases first official depth chart of 2026 season". HottyToddy.com. Retrieved September 25, 2026.