Caleb Cunningham arrived at Ole Miss with the expectations that come with being a five-star recruit.
But injuries prevented him from showing much of what made him one of the nation’s most coveted high school receivers.
The Mississippi native appeared in just three games as a freshman, catching one pass for 19 yards. Even after the season ended, Cunningham continued battling a lingering hamstring injury that limited his offseason development.
Now healthy, Cunningham is finally starting to show what made him such a highly regarded prospect coming out of Choctaw County High School.
The sophomore has 19 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns through eight games, including two of his best performances in the last three weeks.
Against Missouri, Cunningham caught three passes for 61 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. He followed that with six receptions for 55 yards and another touchdown in Saturday’s 45-15 win over Auburn.
New angle just dropped @calebcunning3 pic.twitter.com/a0BGIgzUfo
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 31, 2026
It’s not quite the production of an established star receiver, but it’s Cunningham is definitely trending in that direction.
He was also one of the names most often mentioned when talk of players following Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU was happening last November. His reason why, though, has played a big part in his improvement.
“PG, that’s my guy, for sure,” Cunningham said of Ole Miss coach Pete Golding. “I knew we were bringing in a good receivers coach, Coach LD. Plus, being from Mississippi, I just wanted to stay home and represent this state.”
That receivers coach is L’Damian Washington, who joined Golding’s staff after spending last season at Kentucky.
According to Cunningham, Washington deserves much of the credit for his improvement.
“He’s the one. He coached me as hard as he could,” Cunningham said. “I really love that he was on me hard. It just made me go hard. I give all the credit to him because that’s my guy.”
Cunningham said he specifically asked Washington to push him rather than take it easy on him.
“I’m the main one in the room that he really stays on, for sure, which I like,” Cunningham said. “I told him from the get-go, ‘I want you to coach me hard. That’s only going to get me better.'”
The results are beginning to show, and Cunningham’s emergence gives quarterback Trinidad Chambliss another reliable option in the passing game.
For Cunningham, it’s also confirmation that staying at Ole Miss was the right decision.
“I knew my opportunity would come because I had faith in myself,” Cunningham said. “It wasn’t a hard decision at all. This is where I want to be, so I’m going to stay here.”
Saturday brings another opportunity when Georgia visits Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for a game with major College Football Playoff implications.
It’s exactly the kind of stage Cunningham envisioned when he decided to play college football in his home state.
“It just feels good representing the right way,” Cunningham said. “A lot more work to do, but I’m glad that I’m here and showcasing my talent.”
There’s certainly more work ahead for Cunningham, but after spending his freshman season waiting for an opportunity, he’s beginning to make the most of the ones he’s getting.
