ESPN ranked Miami safety JJ Dunnigan No. 13 among the top 25 true freshmen in college football through Week 5, the highest-placed ACC player on the list.
Dunnigan has 17 tackles (fourth on the Hurricanes) three quarterback hurries and a 39-yard pick-six in the 41-13 win at Clemson.
He has started opposite Zechariah Poyser since injuries thinned out the secondary, and Pro Football Focus graded him 84.1 for the Clemson game, the highest mark among true freshmen that week.
Which players on the list are on Miami's schedule?
So far this season Miami has faced one other player from the ranking. Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds sits at No. 22 after helping the Tigers beat Georgia Southern, North Carolina and California.
Pittsburgh running back Damon Ferguson Jr. is No. 14 and leads the Panthers in rushing. He topped 100 yards against Syracuse at more than 10 yards per carry and ranks second among freshman running backs in scrimmage yards. Miami hosts No. 25 Pittsburgh on Oct. 24 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The rest of the freshman top 25
Dunnigan, Ferguson and Reynolds are the only three ACC players among the 25.
Oregon State wide receiver Jesse Legree is No. 1 after 741 receiving yards, second nationally, including eight catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns against Texas Tech.
LSU defensive tackle Deuce Geralds is No. 2 with five sacks and Georgia offensive guard Zykie Helton is No. 3 after starting every game without allowing a sack.
USC has four players on the list: defensive end Luke Wafle at No. 4, wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt at No. 5, wide receiver Trent Mosley at No. 12 and tight end Mark Bowman at No. 17.
The SEC has eight players on the list, the Big Ten has six, the ACC and Big 12 each have three, and the Pac-12 has one.
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