During his junior season, he had 103 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 9 quarterback sacks. He had 105 tackles, 35 for loss, and 24 sacks as a senior and was selected to play in the first Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. In addition to being one of the top defensive ends in college football, Dunlap also returned kicks off and played some defense end during his freshman year at Appalachian State. He played high school football in Atlanta for Thomasville High School before moving up to Division I college football. Dunlap started his career at Appalachian State as a freshman in 2004 when they went 8-4. That same year, he returned kicks off and played some defense as a rookie. As a sophomore in 2005, he led the team in sacks with 7. He followed that up by winning the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive player. As a junior in 2006, he had 95 tackles, 19.5 for loss, and 14 sacks. He finished his college career with 215 tackles, 49.5 for loss, and 59 sacks. He entered the NFL Draft after finishing his senior season. According to Sports Illustrated, Dunlap made 103 tackles as a senior.