Reebok Top 25 Most Dynamic Athletes: Randall Cunningham Jr.

To say Randall Cunnigham Jr. has a tremendous upside is a tremendous understatement.

The incoming 6-foot-5, 180-pound quarterback from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) is the nation’s top high jumper, a 2016 Olympic hopeful in fact, who cleared a rather remarkable 7 feet, 3.25 inches to win the Nevada state championship in the spring.

He’ll now take over the starting signal-calling position for one of the nation’s top football programs, replacing four-year starter Anu Solomon who threw for 10,112 yards, 138 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions while leading the Gaels to a 57-3 record and four state titles.

Cunningham is used to filling big shoes. His dad by the same name threw for almost 30,000 yards and more than 200 touchdowns in a 16-year NFL career.



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"I used to feel pressure about being as good as my dad, but not any more," Randall Jr. said.

He got in 150 snaps last season as Solomon’s backup and, by all indications, is the perfect replacement for the current University of Arizona quarterback.

With 4.6-speed in the 40-yard dash, a big arm and calm presence, Cunningham might be the only player in the country who could replace such a talent as Solomon and lead coach Tony Sanchez to think, "no big."

In fact, Cunningham will no doubt give the Gaels a few new wrinkles even Solomon couldn’t match.

Talk about going vertical.



"There’s not many people on the planet — let alone in high school — who are that fast and that explosive," Sanchez said of Cunningham Jr. "Run a 4.6 40 and high jump 7-3. On top of all that he’s such a smart kid and hard worker. He’ll be a great football player and he’s a great kid.”

As far as what sport Cunningham prefers, the quiet and polite standout says: "I like them both and in different ways. It’s just really exciting to be able to compete at a high level in both."

See all the Reebok Dynamic Athletes{PAGEBREAK}
Hometown: Las Vegas

School: Bishop Gorman High School (enrollment 1,132)

Class: 2014

Sports: Football (quarterback), track and field (high jump).



College plans: He has more than 10 schools on his list thus far, led by Baylor, Arizona State, LSU, Mississippi State and UCLA. Cunningham said he will make his five official visits likely after the season. Baylor, which just two seasons ago featured one of his quarterback idols, Robert Griffin III, seems like a natural fit considering the football team’s offense and the school’s track and field prowess. Griffin was the nation’s best high hurdler in college. According to Sanchez, Baylor coach Art Briles has already nicknamed Cunningham RC2, a play off Griffin’s tag of RG3.

Favorite athletes: Naturally, he grew up idolizing his father and plays a lot like him. He also admired Steve Young at a very young age, before growing to admire Cam Newton and Griffin.

Mom’s influence: Everyone knows about his father’s athletic influence, but his mother Felicity is a former professional ballet dancer.

Coach speak: "He’s still developing obviously, but he’s grown by leaps and bounds literally in the last year. He could always throw the long ball, but he’s made huge strides in his intermediate game. And could there possibly be a better quarterback for the pistol? With his speed and athleticism and jumping ability, there might not be a better dual threat kid in the country. He allows us to throw some tricks at people." — Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez{PAGEBREAK} With so many blowout wins, Cunningham got plenty of playing time and made the most of it, completing 21 of 32 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

He also rushed 42 times for 483 yards and seven scores — and that includes sacks.

Even with his limited duty, 247Sports.com ranks him the 20th best dual-threat quarterback in the country. Sanchez thinks he’s much higher than that, but understands he needs to prove himself.

Cunningham will no doubt get his chance, especially early, as the Gaels have one of the nation’s most challenging preseason schedules with road games at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) and home games vs. Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Washington (Miami) and Mountain Pointe (Phoenix).



What Sanchez likes perhaps most is Cunningham’s nature.

"He’s very calm," he said. "He doesn’t get rattled and is very unassuming."

Cunningham grew up around the game with his father, a four-time All-Pro selection who threw for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns in his career. Football Nation ranked him the 23rd best quarterback of the NFL’s post-merger era.

He’s not focused on living up to the name any longer. He’s more interested in the names on the other jerseys.

"I love everything about the sport," Cunningham said. "I love being able to be around and lead my teammates, to watch them and help them do great things."{PAGEBREAK} Randall’s father high jumped 6-9 in high school. Randall Jr. passed that a long time ago.

He broke his own Nevada state record by jumping 7-0.25 on his third attempt in May. He then added three inches to that mark in the same meet.



His goal was to break the national high school record of 7-5.75, but fell a little short.

"My goal is to make the 2016 Olympic team," Cunningham said. "It won’t be easy with my football schedule, but I’m definitely going to shoot for it."

He won at the prestigious California invitationals, Mt. San Antonio (7-3) and Arcadia (7-1) and he’ll compete in the Junior Nationals July 22-28 in Greensboro, N.C.

Cunningham, who has also long jumped 21-8, said he’ll likely add sprinting to his schedule next track season to improve his speed in football.

"There's not much Randall Jr. can't do," Sanchez said. "He has a once-in-a-lifetime talent and skill set."{PAGEBREAK}