Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY TOM LOY Many recruiting followers were sur- prised when Dallas South Oak Cliff safety Prentice McKinney pulled the trigger and committed to Notre Dame March 27. Not because he chose to be Irish, but because he had been ada- mant about visiting South Bend before making a decision. However, the 6-3, 180-pounder made his choice without ever seeing the school's campus. "I chose Notre Dame because that's where my parents wanted me to go, and they were really excited when I got the offer," McKinney said. "When they offered me, I did a lot of research. I looked back on the history, and they have rich history with the alumni and the fans. The degrees and education are really good. I want to go into me- chanical engineering or computer sci- ence, and they have good programs. It's just the school for me." Prior to going public with his deci- sion, the junior standout called Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to share the news. "Coach Kelly was really excited," the three-star recruit said. "It was like a surprise for him. It was unexpected, so he was very excited about it." McKinney's primary recruiter from Notre Dame is defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks. The Texas native said Cooks has handled his recruitment well over the past few months. "Coach Cooks has done real good with me," McKinney said. "He com- municates with me a lot and keeps me in touch with the Notre Dame defen- sive backs like Elijah Shumate, Max Redfield and KeiVarae Russell. It's like a brotherhood thing, and that's what I like." COMMITMENT PROFILE PRENTICE MCKINNEY Irish Land Talented, Versatile Safety From Texas Per 247Sports, McKinney is the No. 35 safety in the country and the No. 67 prospect in Texas. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS