Asher
Cunningham
Asher Cunningham is a 6-foot-2 junior inside linebacker from Asheville, North Carolina, who wears No. 11 for Utah State football after transferring from Elon. His career-high 17 tackles and two forced fumbles in a 17-16 comeback win over Washington State earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Who is Asher Cunningham?
Asher Cunningham is a Linebacker for Utah State's football program from Asheville, North Carolina. 2026 through 6 games: 52 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3 forced fumbles (all team highs); Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 2026
The linebacker behind Utah State's comeback
Cunningham wears No. 11 for Utah State, whose roster lists him as a 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior inside linebacker from Asheville, North Carolina, who came from Elon. His biography says he made the All-Coastal Athletic Association third team at Elon in 2025 with 84 tackles and five sacks.
His first Pac-12 season produced a night Utah State will remember. Against Washington State on October 9 he made a career-high 17 tackles and forced two fumbles, recovering one himself, and both turnovers set up touchdowns as the Aggies came back from 16-3 to win 17-16, per Utah State's recap. The Pac-12 named him its Defensive Player of the Week, his first conference weekly honor, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation named him its National Defensive Player of the Week, which Utah State says is the first weekly Walter Camp award for any Aggie.
What the official record shows
Utah State's 2026 statistics, read on October 16 through six games, list Cunningham with team highs of 52 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, plus 1.5 sacks. Follow the Aggies on the Utah State football team page.
At a glance
Key achievements
- Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 12, 2026: 17 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery vs. Washington State
- Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 13, 2026, the first weekly Walter Camp award for a Utah State player
- Team highs of 52 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles through six games of 2026
- All-CAA third team at Elon in 2025: 84 tackles, 5.0 sacks (Utah State biography)
Official sources
This athlete page stays public because the school, image, and supporting facts can be checked quickly.
- Utah State Athletics: 2026 football rosterutahstateaggies.com
- Utah State Athletics: Asher Cunningham biographyutahstateaggies.com
- Utah State Athletics: 2026 football statisticsutahstateaggies.com
- Utah State: Asher Cunningham named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 12, 2026)utahstateaggies.com
- Utah State: Asher Cunningham named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 13, 2026)utahstateaggies.com
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What each source confirms
- Utah State Athletics: 2026 football roster
- #11 Asher Cunningham, ILB, Jr., 6-2, 240, Asheville, N.C., A.C. Reynolds HS / Elon. Read 2026-10-16.
- Utah State Athletics: Asher Cunningham biography
- Third-team All-CAA at Elon in 2025: 84 tackles, 5.0 sacks.
- Utah State Athletics: 2026 football statistics
- Read 2026-10-16 (6 games): 52 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3 FF (team highs); 1.5 sacks.
- Utah State: Asher Cunningham named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 12, 2026)
- Career-high 17 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery; first conference weekly honor.
- Utah State: Asher Cunningham named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 13, 2026)
- First weekly Walter Camp award for a Utah State player.
- Utah State: Aggies pull off second-half comeback for 17-16 win over Washington State (Oct. 10, 2026)
- Both forced fumbles set up touchdowns; comeback from 16-3.
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