The latest recruiting intel on five-star DL Dominick McKinley

June marks the beginning of official visit season for many of the country’s top recruits, including five-star DL Dominick McKinley, who on the eve of summer narrowed his list of top schools down to six.

Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Georgia and LSU made the cut for McKinley, the No. 14 player in the On300 for 2024 out of Lafayette (La.) Acadiana High School.

McKinley has four official visits locked in for this month. He will make his first trip up to Ohio State (June 2-4). He also has stops scheduled back to see Texas A&M (June 9-11), Oklahoma (June 16-18), and then Texas (June 23-25).

Buckeyes DL coach Larry Johnson has been courting McKinley for several months leading into this weekend’s official visit, his first time in Columbus, but sources close to the elite DL’s recruitment point to the next two weekends in June carrying more weight in the big picture.

Texas A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, DB coach TJ Rushing and recruiting specialist Mason Smith have dialed up their efforts with the Louisiana defensive lineman this spring. It’s a similar theme for Sooners DC Ted Roof and DL coach Todd Bates, both of whom have been staples in the five-star recruit’s recruitment dating back to last fall. All were actively visible at Acadiana this spring and have emerged as strong contenders at the back end of this season.

From talking to sources with knowledge of this recruitment, the sense is that the Aggies, the Sooners and the in-state Tigers round out McKinley’s lead group of schools. Right now, LSU is the favorite on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Georgia is a dark horse for McKinley

The biggest dark horse in McKinley’s recruitment is Georgia.

The reason why: DL coach Tray Scott has consistently had the Dawgs in a strong position with several of the elite defensive linemen that have come through The Boot in recent cycles (like Maason Smith). This spring, Scott frequented Acadiana High School and made a strong impression on members of McKinley’s family. That includes Scott’s resume on the field as well as Georgia’s presence in the NFL Draft of late.

Scott compared McKinley to former No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, which “really grabbed the attention” of his family.

First-year LSU DL coach Jimmy Lindsey was off to a quick start with the state’s top player when he arrived in Baton Rouge. Lindsey was recruiting McKinley as South Carolina’s DL coach, and sources close to McKinley’s recruitment indicated the two “hit it off” in recent weeks.

Tigers GA Gerald Chatman was a key part of the program’s ability to absorb Jamar Cain’s departure to the NFL. Chatman has since landed a job at Tulane, which has created some distance between LSU and the top recruit in Louisiana. Sources close to the recruitment still believe LSU is positioned well “long term” with the five-star DL.

With four official visits slated over the course of June, Georgia and LSU are both working to secure official visits in-season or close to a decision with McKinley. The Aggies and Sooners have established themselves as the two contenders with some momentum to monitor during summer official visits and the Dawgs successfully overtook Alabama as a long-term threat.

“There’s always worry with Georgia,” one source put it, along with the Tigers, who still have some work to do.

The post The latest recruiting intel on five-star DL Dominick McKinley appeared first on On3.