SMU offense catches eye of 4-star WR Daylan McCutcheon
2025 Lucas (Tex.) Lovejoy wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon is one of the top receivers in the country. The four-star prospect wrapped spring practices as he takes on a bigger role in the high-powered Leopards offense.
“It’s going really good. Excited to be able to play some ball, see how our team is going to look in the fall,” McCutcheon told On3. “I’ve been working on getting out in my routes, my releases and being able to attack the ball at the highest point.
“It feels really different because I was behind Jaxson (Lavender) and KP (Kyle Parker). Just being able to watch how they did their reps. Now that it’s just me, I’ve been able to show my skills and be able to be that guy and know I can be depended on.”
SMU among those after McCutcheon
The 5-11, 170-pound prospect is seeing more and more programs enter the mix, prioritizing him on the recruiting trail. Clemson, LSU and USC are a trio of schools he also wants to camp at.
“It’s going really good. More and more schools are showing out, being able to talk to me and offer me an opportunity,” McCutcheon said. “Definitely South Carolina, I’ve been talking to them. They make me a priority. Notre Dame, Oklahoma and one school that shocked me out of the blue was Texas most recently. I’m trying to talk to Clemson more and more.”
SMU wide receivers coach Rob Likens as well as the high-powered SMU offense stands out to him.
“I talk to coach Likens a little bit, but I’d like to talk to him more. He’s a really cool dude. I like him a lot. He’s a welcoming person. Just chill, to be honest,” he said. “They run their offense just like us. Fast-paced practices and I’m really impressed on what SMU has to offer.”
Lavender, who signed with the Mustangs in 2023, is already on campus and went through spring football.
“It’s definitely different from high school, that’s what I can tell,” McCutchheon said. “What we’re doing is preparing for that college level and he was more developed than most players coming into SMU.”
Programs standing out to DFW area standout
South Carolina with wide receivers coach Justin Stepp has made good in-roads in his recruitment early on.
“He’s a really nice guy,” McCutcheon said. “Definitely makes me feel at home, especially when I went to their spring game. It felt like family being out there.”
Clemson hasn’t offered, but wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham impresses him. McCutcheon spent the morning and early afternoon at Clemson before hitting the South Carolina Spring Game.
“The way they recruit players. That’s one place that really shocked me,” he said. “Being able to go out there in their spring game, too, it’s just a nice place to be and a great place to be at. I like the scenery. The coaches are just different. They know how to train each player. He’s a really cool dude, he’s welcoming.”
Texas offered this spring and the Longhorns were a big offer for him without a doubt.
“It was big because in the area I am, that was one school I was hoping to get for a minute, but over time, I was like, it is what it is, but now that I got it, I’m really excited to have that opportunity,” McCutcheon said. “I was really excited that they said I was doing real well in spring ball. I’m getting better, faster and stronger. They were really impressed by my schools.”
Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey and head coach Marcus Freeman stand out to him in a big way.
“Coach Stuckey and coach Freeman are really welcoming people,” the rising junior said. “I really like them a lot. Being able to go up to Notre Dame is just a different scenery and environment.”
Oklahoma is standing out with Emmett Jones leading the way recruiting him. The Sooners lead the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
“My sister went there. I’ve always been there. Coach Jones is a really cool dude. He knows his stuff and I like being able to talk to coach Lebby and coach Venables.”
According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, McCutcheon is the No. 93 overall prospect in the country, No. 16 wide receiver in the nation and No. 14 prospect in Texas.
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