Playing cornerback requires a short memory, and North Crowley 2029 CB Braylen Cunningham already has one.

The 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore plays with the confidence to man up elite Class 6A receivers week after week, a mentality that has helped him emerge as one of the state's top prospects in 2029. 

TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Penn State are among the 20+ programs already on his offer list.

And Cunningham is making his case for more.

He opened 2026 with a pick-six in a 26-0 win over Aledo before totaling six tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions in a 40-10 win over Southlake Carroll.

“Bray is always joking, always playing, but he’s locked in in his own way,” North Crowley head coach DeMarcus Harris said. “He’s a really, really smart kid when it comes to studying receivers.”

Cunningham's dominance is even more important after five-star Texas signee John Meredith II was ruled ineligible due to UIL transfer rules before the season and began his college career in Austin a year early.

For most programs, losing a five-star defensive back would be crippling. 

North Crowley isn't most programs.

The Panthers still feature one of the nation's deepest secondaries, led by Arizona State commit S Elijajuan Houston and four-star UCLA commit CB Jerry Outhouse Jr.

Cunningham has established himself as a star in a defensive backfield littered with them.

Harris' confidence in Cunningham started last season when he got the call to start as a freshman on varsity.

“Last year, I’ve never done this: Braylen Cunningham was our boundary corner, our punt returner and our kick returner,” Harris said. “We’ve never done that with a freshman. That shows how much we think about him and what the team thinks about him.”

Cunningham combines that confidence with an advanced understanding of the position.

Harris says he studies each receiver individually and changes his approach based on the matchup.

“He has a different way to play every kid on our team,” Harris said. “He computes it, and he logs it in. He plays every kid differently, and I think that’s what makes Braylen so special.”

That intelligence and talent give Harris and the Panthers tremendous flexibility defensively.

“First of all, you’re not afraid to play man,” Harris said. “Now you can commit as many people to the run as you need. You can put an extra guy in, so we feel good about those guys playing man.”

Two games into his sophomore season, Cunningham is already showing why he is considered one of the nation's top 2029 corners.