Dunham grew up a Longhorn fan and for him, being able to play football for the University of Texas is not just a dream come true for him, but for the McCallum Knights. The local high school is not known for its athletic prowess but for its fine arts magnet program. Head football coach Thomas Gammerdinger knows how important the opportunity is not just for Dunham, but the school itself, something he and the young quarterback talked about in an exlcusive interview with Texas Longhorns on SI.
“It’s a truly for him, a life-changing opportunity and it’s really cool for McCallum,” Gammerdinger said. “We don’t produce just a ton of division one type talent. We have some kids that go into smaller schools but the idea of having a kid that, you know, played for us that’s on TV, we don’t get that opportunity a lot. So I’m excited for him and obviously, it reflects well on McCallum.”
Dunhman, who was taking a nap when he found out Texas had offered him, said it was a dream come true. A Longhorn fan since birth, Dunham had always wanted to play football for Texas, and now his dream is coming to fruition.
“I really could not believe it whenever we first got contacted by the coaches,” Dunham said. “It just felt like I was in a dream, because my dad woke me up from a nap to tell me that he got a call from Coach G.”
Once Dunham was fully awake, the feeling of dreaming turned into excitement. He knows the prestige that comes with playing for the University of Texas and is eager to learn from head coach Steve Sarkisian. The Austin native threw for 2,635 yards for an average of 292 yards per game and 28 touchdowns. He also ran for 653 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In the Knights’ 78-57 loss to Liberty Hill, he threw for his season high of 501 yards and five touchdowns. He also added 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground that night.
Gammerdinger credited Dunham’s success in these games to his ability to stay calm under pressure.
“I coached kids that, they’re not super competitive and they’re calm and all that, and then I’ve coached other kids and we’re really competitive, but, kind of lose their minds out there when things aren’t going well,” Gammerdinger said. “He just strikes a really nice balance. He’s composed. He’s, you know, poised and but he really, really wants to win. He’s willing to, you know, to do whatever it takes to win.”
Dunham’s competitive drive is something that is attractive to all college coaches, but something Texas holds to a high standard. For Sarkisian, he has spoken at length about how he values culture and toughness, something that Dunhan showed during his time at McCallum.
For Dunham, he is excited to grow his game alongside some of the most famous names in college football, including Arch Manning.
“Coming in as a younger guy, I’ll get to develop a lot, hearing what that what he thinks as he goes through the process of a play,” Dunham said. “I think that’ll be really good for my development, being in a quarterback room with somebody that is at the top.”
Dunham will join the star-studded roster as part of the no. 1 overall 2025 recruiting class in the fall when he makes the move across Austin to the 40 Acres. Even with the star-power of the Longhorns, Gammerdinger is confident that Dunham will want to compete and wear the Burnt Orange.
Gammerdinger knows Dunham’s love for the Longhorns and how badly he wants to play for Texas, knowing he will be happy with the education he’s getting, as both of his parents graduated from the University of Texas.
“I don’t see Luke a couple years in wanting to transfer or being concerned about playing time or anything like that,” Gammerdinger said. “I think he’s in that for the long haul and I really do think with kind of his skill set tools, I wouldn’t be surprised if, three years from now that maybe he’s not the starter, but he’s in the mix to compete for his starting role or something like that. I think he’s going to really take off.”