In four years at Vanderbilt, Zach Cunningham developed from four-star recruit into a consensus All-American. Now, he’ll carry the Commodores’ banner into the NFL after being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Texans.
Cunningham was a James Franklin recruit who came to personify all the good aspects of Derek Mason’s tenure to date. The 6’4 inside linebacker improved every season he stayed in Nashville, growing from redshirt freshman to game-changing tackler in the process. With Cunningham serving as the heart and soul of the defense, the Commodores improved from 3-9 dumpster fire to a bowl team in 2016.