Linebacker Zach Cunningham is one of the best in Vanderbilt football history. He ranks ninth on our countdown of the 100-greatest players we've covered; you can follow our rankings as we count down to No. 1 here.
Honors and awards: 2015 third-team All-American (Phil Steele)
2015 first-team All-Southeastern Conference
2016 first-team All-American (consensus)
2016 first-team All-SEC
2016 Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist
2016 National Defensive Player of the Week (Georgia game)
In the VU record book: Career tackles for loss: third (39.5)
Before VU: Starred at Alabama's Pinson Valley High, where he was named Alabama 5A Lineman of the Year and Birmingham News Lineman of the Year as a senior. Had 448 career total tackles. Was first-team all-state as a senior, registering 194 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and four blocked punts. Played in Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. All-state pick as a junior after amassing 152 total tackles. Also lettered in basketball and track.
Freshman (2014): After a redshirt season, Cunningham played 11 games (he missed the Charleston Southern game), starting five and ranking second on the team in total tackles though he was just 11th in snaps. Had one quarterback hurry. Pro Football Focus graded him at "72" against the run, "78" in tackling, "77" in pass-rushing and "51" in coverage. Had 11 tackles (eight solo) vs. Florida, which included a sack. Had seven tackles (six solo) with 2.5 stops for loss and a half-sack against Tennessee. Had a season-high 13 tackles vs. Mississippi St.
Sophomore (2015): Played in 12 games starting nine, including the season's last eight. Led the team in solo tackles, assisted tackles, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries and ranked third on the defense in snaps. PFF graded him at "79" against the run, "75" in tackling, "70" in pass-rushing and "77" in coverage. Had at least 10 total tackles in five games. Had 15 tackles (12 solo), including a big one to stop a touchdown, in a win at MTSU. Had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, nine total tackles (seven solo) and 2.5 for loss in defeat at Houston. Had 11 total tackles (1.5 for loss) at Ole Miss. Had 12 total tackles (nine solo) with four for loss at South Carolina. Had 14 tackles (10 solo), three for loss, with a forced fumble vs. Texas A&M. Had 10 tackles (five solo, one for loss) vs. Kentucky.
Junior (2016): Started all 13 games on a 6-7 team that lost the Independence Bowl. Led the defense in snaps (869), fumble recoveries (three-tying him for the league lead), solo tackles and assisted tackles, and tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (four, which ranked third in the SEC). His 16.5 tackles for loss ranked third among SEC defenders in regular-season games. Led the league with 125 total tackles, which ranked in the top 10 in America. Averaged 11 tackles vs. SEC foes. Had 10 total tackles or more in seven games. Had 12 tackles (six solo), including three for loss, vs. South Carolina. Had 19 tackles (six solo), a pass break-up and 2.5 stops for loss in an upset at Georgia, which earned him National Defensive Player of the Week honors. Blocked a kick vs. Auburn while adding nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Had 10 total tackles (five solo, 1.5 for loss) in a win over MTSU. Had nine tackles (four solo, 1.5 for loss) in an upset at Western Kentucky. Had 10 tackles (nine solo) at Missouri.
Post-VU: The Houston Texans took Cunningham in Round 2 (57th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. He's played 46 career games and started 43, collecting 142 total tackles while starting all 16 games last season.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: Everybody remembers Cunningham's dominant junior year, in which he was a legitimate SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But PFF actually graded his junior year better. That stop near the goal line in the MTSU game had a hand in changing the trajectory of the program--VU was at least respectable most of the rest of the season, and went to a bowl in 2016--while also vaulting Cunningham towards superstardom.
What I hadn't realized until doing this was that Cunningham played fairly well in a 2014 season that couldn't end quickly enough. Vanderbilt changed defensive schemes from Cunningham's redshirt freshman season and perhaps predictably, his best football came in the second half of that reason. What stands out is how, despite being 11th on the team in snaps, he finished second in tackles, just nine off the team lead.
There was never a question of having Cunningham in the top 10, and I could easily justify ranking him as high as fifth or sixth. It's difficult to compare him with the next few players on the list because they all did different things. This is where I settled and so you might be right if you want to argue that he's too low.
