5-Star DL T.A. Cunningham Transfers to Los Alamitos High School

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Elite talent attracts elite talent.

5-star senior quarterback and USC commit Malachi Nelson is already doing that for the Trojans class, but recently attracted 5-star rising junior defensive lineman T.A. Cunningham to join him at Los Alamitos High School in California. Cunningham joins the Griffins from Johns Creek High School in Georgia. He breaks down his decision below.

Despite just finishing his sophomore season, Cunningham has made a name for himself as one of the best high school players in the country regardless of class. His towering frame at 6’6 and 265 pounds and high-level on-the-field play has earned him a consensus 5-star rating and almost 60 offers through just two years of high school. Cunningham already stands at 6’6 and 265 pounds. Schools like USC, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan, and Georgia have shown heavy interest early in the 2024 5-star recruit. The final two seasons of his high school career will now be played against some of the best competition in southern California. Cunningham says “I start practicing with the team this August.”

Although Cunningham is moving cross-country, he is not a stranger to the west coast. “My dad is originally from New Mexico,” says the defensive lineman. Along with the family ties out west, he has been to the area around Los Alamitos on visits to USC. “I’m still learning the SoCal landscape but everything I’ve seen so far has been beautiful!” During this transition process, Cunningham has new teammates to lean upon including Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon. “[Leading up to this decision and training with STARS] I’ve built a great relationship with both Malachi and Makai.”

The 5-star talent definitely had his options in southern California to choose from for great development but feels like Los Alamitos was the right fit for him. “I chose Los Alamitos because it is the best situation for me at the time being. It was mainly about the development I’d get in California and things with my family.” The coach that stood out the most to Cunningham and his family was the Griffins DL coach Bruce Bible. “Mainly what stood out was the DL coach Bruce Bible. Not that any of the other schools didn’t but he truly cared about the athletes at the school.”

This is a big addition for Los Alamitos to the defensive side of the ball. A potent offense led by Quarterback Malachi Nelson and skill players Makai Lemon, Ethan O’Conner, and Damian Henderson has put Los Alamitos at #40 in the nation in MaxPreps Preseason Top 100. Adding a major disruptor to the defensive line adds some balance to an already loaded roster.