Five-star DL Dominick McKinley commits to Texas A&M Aggies

About a month ago, everything clicked for one of the nation’s best defensive linemen.

After five visits this summer, including four official visits across the month of June, the decision is in for On3 Industry Ranking five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley.

McKinley, the No. 17-ranked player in the On300, committed to Texas A&M over the likes of Ohio State, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma on Friday before kicking off his senior season at Lafayette (La.) Acadiana High School.

The Aggies surged past the Buckeyes and dipped into The Boot to secure a commitment from McKinley, who favored Texas A&M AHC and DL coach Elijah Robinson over the course of the summer. The five-star DL put an emphasis on relationships, development and opportunities not just on the football field — but in the classroom, too.

Texas A&M delivered in several of those key areas beginning with Robinson’s presence.

“It came down to how I felt relationship-wise and how comfortable I am over there,” McKinley told On3 of his decision to commit to the Aggies.

“He’s a great coach and he develops a lot of great defensive linemen,” he added on Robinson. “I like how he’s honest and how he’s there for his players and supports them in any type of way. I feel really good about it and I’m really comfortable over there.”

The Aggies started to surge with McKinley this summer

The No. 1 player in Louisiana, much of McKinley’s recruitment has centered around the out-of-state contenders.

Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Ohio State have each been trending with McKinley at different junctures over the course of the off-season. The Aggies were timely in their ascent.

After visiting College Station in March, the five-star DL was back in Aggieland for an official visit June 9-11 weekend. The tide began to turn in favor of Texas A&M as the summer progressed.

“This summer cleared my mind up a lot,” McKinley said. “I saw how some teams really are. Being around the players really helped me, too, seeing how the coaches are and how they treat their players.”

The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder made the decision with the support of his family, who appreciated multiple aspects of the Aggies’ push.

“I’m so excited,” McKinley said of his commitment to Texas A&M. “I can succeed at Texas A&M at a high level. I can get my degree at a good school and get put in the league, and I know I’ll be taken care of afterward with jobs and life after football.”

“My family supported me in any type of way, with my decision and how I went about it,” he added.

Dominick McKinley scouting summary

The NFL comparison for the elite DL is former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steelers DL Stephon Tuitt. Here is the full scouting summary on McKinley:

Imposing interior defensive line prospect who combines pure power with impressive explosiveness and hand usage at the point of attack. Stature immediately catches your eye. Measures in at 6-foot-5, 280-plus pounds with tremendous length. Jumped an 30 inches in the vertical and ran a sub-5.0 40-yard dash during the summer camp circuit prior to his junior season. Threw 47-foot-11 in the shot put as well during his junior track and field campaign. Plays with outstanding leverage for someone his size. Possesses the ability to anchor at the point of attack. Uses his length effectively in order to gain control of his opponent. Sheds blockers with ease in the run game. Can really dig in and unlock his hips in order to maintain control at the point. Disruptive player who can knife between opponents and live in the backfield. Excellent get off and ability to penetrate off the snap. Finished his junior season with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Not very nuanced as a pass rusher but will come with time and reps. High upside prospect with the potential to develop into an early round draft pick.