Syracuse football could be making a run at Texas A&M 5-star DL commit

Syracuse football is among several schools making in-home visits this week to 2024 fives-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, according to a media report.

On3 senior national recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton first reported this news. Hamilton’s piece is a subscriber-exclusive article, so I want to respect his work. That being said, a post on X read, “Coaches from Tennessee, Syracuse, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas will make in-home visits to Texas A&M 5-star DL commit Dominick McKinley this week.”

The 6-foot-6, 270-pound McKinley is a standout senior at Acadiana High School in Lafayette, La. He verbally committed to Southeastern Conference school Texas A&M on September 1.

The Aggies, which went 7-5 during the 2023 regular season and will play Big 12 Conference school Oklahoma State on December 27 at the Texas Bowl in Houston, have a new head coach in former Duke boss Mike Elko, who has replaced Jimbo Fisher at the helm of Texas A&M.

Additionally, the Orange’s new defensive coordinator will be Elijah Robinson, who is currently the interim head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Per reports and comments I’ve come across on social media and in chat rooms, it seems that Robinson was thought to be an important factor in McKinley giving a verbal commitment to the Aggies.

Syracuse football is showing interest in 2024 five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley.

McKinley, according to his X page, suits up at defensive tackle and defensive end. Per recruiting services, he has landed more than two dozen offers throughout his recruiting process, although it’s unclear to me at this time whether the ‘Cuse has formally offered him a scholarship.

McKinley’s full offer sheet includes college squads such as Texas A&M, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas Tech, among others.

Per recruiting Web sites, McKinley is an elite player in the 2024 class. When I wrote this article on Tuesday morning, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite had him at No. 28 overall, No. 7 at defensive lineman and No. 1 in Louisiana.

Over at the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, McKinley checked in at No. 27 nationally, No. 5 at defensive lineman and No. 1 in Louisiana.

In the wake of Robinson being named the defensive coordinator at Syracuse football, teaming up alongside fellow Camden, N.J., native and long-time friend Fran Brown, the Orange’s new head coach, there have been a handful of recruiting nuggets to surface with regard to the ‘Cuse and Texas A&M.

As I noted on Monday evening, Syracuse football is receiving some analyst buzz for four-star transfer Fadil Diggs, a junior defensive lineman at Texas A&M who is in the NCAA’s transfer portal.

On Sunday night, 2024 three-star wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby said on social media that he was flipping his verbal commitment from Texas A&M to the Orange. Hornsby is a senior at Winslow Township High School in Atco, N.J.

Additionally, per On3 national recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett, the ‘Cuse is one of many schools that has reached out to Chase Bisontis, a freshman All-American at Texas A&M who is in the portal as well.

Bisontis, in national transfer rankings from 247Sports, is rated as four stars, No. 8 overall and No. 1 at offensive tackle.