Brophy's Jorden Cunningham blossoms into Division I football prospect

When Jorden Cunningham moved from Canada and enrolled at Phoenix Brophy Prep last July, he said his sole intention was to play basketball.

"Football was just another sport to keep me occupied," he said.

At 6-foot-6 and about 210 pounds, he was more of a tight end than right tackle.

Now, after putting on about 60 pounds since then, Cunningham is a lock at right tackle for Brophy and looks more like he could be following a football path. His father, Rick Cunningham, starred at Texas A&M, before playing in the NFL, including a stint with the Arizona Cardinals at 6-7, 305 pounds.

Jorden's brother, Qualen Cunningham was a 6-3, 245-pound edge rusher at Texas A&M, after starring at Chandler Hamilton, where he was a four-star recruit.

"Seeing this team and seeing how far I could go with football, it was something I had to flip the switch and decide what I wanted to do in college," Jorden Cunningham said Monday at Brophy's first spring football practice. "When it came down to it, I talked to coach (Jason) Jewell, and all of my teammates convinced me that I can do it. Once I did it, that motivated me, as well."

Cunningham recently picked up a Bowling Green offer. It was his first Division I football offer, making him the third 2025 offensive lineman on Brophy Prep's football team to get at least one D-I offer.

The rest of the big guys up front for Brophy

Center Anderson Kopp on Tuesday announced his college commitment to Kansas. Left tackle Logan Powell, rated by The Republic as the No. 1 2025 prospect in the state, will take some time, before he commits, while his recruiting continues to blow up.

Ready to emerge is 2027 offensive lineman Shane Reiersgaard, who is 6-3, 255 and is expected to be the next big offensive line recruit out of Brophy. He has thrown the shot put more than 40 feet this track and field season.

"We have some size," coach Jason Jewell said. "We've not always had it."

Last year, Cunningham split time between tight end and tackle. He was mostly used as a blocker at tight end, Jewell said, as the Broncos came a point away from making it to the eight-team Open state playoff round and a point away from beating Mesa Red Mountain in the 6A semifinals.

More high school football news: Big 150 2025: The Arizona Republic's top high school football prospects

Brophy Prep is having a competition at quarterback that could run through the summer, after losing two-year starter Charlie McGinnis. But that might be the team's only offseason question mark. The Broncos are stacked not only on the roster but on the coaching staff.

And they might have the best offensive line in the state next season. Especially with Cunningham's emergence. Cunningham was pushed by teammates such as Kopp (6-3, 280) and Powell (6-5, 290).

"Me just getting on the field and getting to prove people wrong is so inspiring to myself," Cunningham said. "It motivated me to keep playing football and catch up with my family."

Why Brophy's O-line is on a great trajectory

Brophy Prep's offensive line was pretty good with Powell and Kopp back.

But when Jorden Cunningham put on 60 pounds in the offseason and worked relentlessly in the weight room to suddenly become a Division I recruit, it got really good.

Then, Jewell added more pieces to his staff, including offensive line coach Mark Martinez, who was a big part of Scottsdale Saguaro's football dynasty as the O-line coach. He came over from Saguaro, along with three other assistants, Bryant Westbrook, Aaron Wiese and Nyles Outley.

"We really pushed ourselves in the weight room, especially," Powell said. "The whole team coming out conditioning. Everyone is pushing each other. Everyone is making sure that instead of coming up short that we finish it."

Kopp said the team's new motto is, "unfinished business."

"We have signs in the weight room saying that," Kopp said. "The loss (to Red Mountain), I don't want to say it was a blessing in disguise, but it kind of was. It brought our team so much closer. We had the taste. The culture of our whole team kind of shifted.

"If you go back three years ago, it was like seniors, juniors, sophomore and freshmen were separate. Now, us upperclassmen, we're saying everyone on this team is equal. We're going to succeed together. We're going to lift our program up so that the guys behind us can be the same as us."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brophy Prep football might have the best O-line in the state