Signing day is still a few years away for Caleb Cunningham of the Choctaw County Chargers, but he’s quickly emerged as a potential star out of the state of Mississippi.
The quiet and reserved Cunningham can certainly put on a show on the football field and the basketball court. This past year as a freshman, Cunningham helped his Chargers team to the Class 2A state semifinals.
Cunningham averaged 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game in his second year as a starter for the Chargers. It was no surprise that Cunningham had a good year on the hardwood, but football is where he made his grand entrance.
Cunningham caught 31 passes for 569 yards and 10 touchdowns as the team’s primary receiver and did it in his first year of high school football. In the spring, Mississippi State took notice of his skill and offered him his first football scholarship. With his first love being basketball, that was thought by many to be his future, but he’s starting to get a different vision.
“I think I’m going to be a football player and that’s what I’m mainly focused on. At first, I thought it was going to be basketball that I played, but I think it’s going to be football,” Cunningham said. “I’m mostly hearing from Mississippi State, Troy, and Ole Miss so far.”
Shortly after his offer from MSU, Cunningham picked up an offer from Memphis, and he’s beginning to gain more interest from schools.
The Bulldogs have been a team that has stuck out to him early in his recruitment. Being the first to offer and being close by are solid selling points, but that decision is a long way away. For now, he’s just soaking in the fact that an SEC team has already seen and appreciated his skill set.
“It was just a blessing,” Cunningham said of the MSU offer. “Zach Arnett talked to coach (Jeff) Roberts and told me that I had received an offer, and he showed me the message. I have to keep working and keep grinding to try to get more.”
It’s become the norm for Cunningham to balance his two favorite sports, and he’s done that all summer long. From the AAU circuit across the USA to taking in some football camps.
MSU was one of the camps he came to experience at the Top Dawg Camp inside Davis Wade Stadium, and he had a solid showing last month. There’s plenty of time between now and his signing date and right now he’s just looking to learn and get better, and he’s been doing just that no matter the surface or ball he’s working with.
“I’ve been playing AAU basketball most of the summer in Indiana, South Carolina and Georgia. It’s been a good experience for me,” Cunningham said of the circuit. “Most of the guys I play with are from Kentucky, and the competition is really good and makes you better. They’ve got some top players up there. I’ve also done some football camps and training so it’s been a really good summer.”
