Five-star DL Dominick McKinley spoke to Texas ‘multiple times’ in the last day

Texas and LSU have ramped up their recruitments of five-star DL Dominick McKinley.

Five-star defensive end Dominick McKinley is highly sought after as we reach the finish line for the 2024 recruiting class.

According to On3 national recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton, McKinley has spoken to Texas and LSU multiple times over the last 16 hours. Hamilton shared that the talks have spilled into signing day where both teams look to add one more championship building player into their fold.

McKinley is the type of player that could tip the scales as early as 2024 for Texas. His addition could help Texas return to the final four of college football’s postseason next year despite the expansion of the playoff to 12 teams.

It’s no secret that the Longhorns lose two elite defensive tackles in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. The potential return of Alfred Collins and Trill Carter at the position would bode well for the team with young players like Sydir Mitchell growing into contributing roles. Even so, adding a five-star talent could bolster the unit.

Some naysay the idea that a freshman can come in and make an impact. That’s not how things have gone for Texas under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Xavier Worthy finished with 981 yards and 12 touchdown receptions in his first season earning freshman All-American honors. The following year, left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. earned the same honor starting from the beginning of the year at his position.

This season, several Texas freshmen made an impact right away. Linebacker Anthony Hill compiled five sacks on the year including two against Alabama in his second college game. Defensive backs Malik Muhammad and Derek Williams Jr. broke out late in the season, while Cedric Baxter Jr. has contributed since the beginning of 2023.

In short, if Texas can find a way to bring in McKinley it could have an immediate impact on the team’s 2024 prospects. We’ll keep an eye on what McKinley decides.