From Walter Bob to Cameron George, Acadiana has been a defensive line factory lately. But senior Dominick McKinley may be their best machine yet.
"It's his size and speed and athletic ability to change directions,” Acadiana head coach Matt McCullough said. “He's a guy that runs a 4.7, maybe even a 4.6 in the 40. He can change directions. He's got like a 35-inch vertical."
Standing at a lean 6-foot-7 and weighing 270 pounds, McKinley certainly looks the part. His production passes the eye test too. The defensive tackle finished 2022 with 86 tackles, 10 sacks, and 18 tackles for loss in only his first year as a full-time starter.
"You know if you're trying to block him one on one is tough,” McCullough said. “If you try to block two guys on him it's tough. He plays with a motor. He'll make a play 20 yards and 30 yards down the field. Then he'll make a play in the backfield.”
McKinley was named All-state and All-Acadiana for his stellar play, but it's when he earned a spot to the Under Armour All-American game that he realized his profile was growing.
"It was kind of surprising a little bit,” McKinley said. “It was because of how much I progressed from my sophomore year to my junior year. I just kept putting in work."
McKinley is the number one recruit in Louisiana for 2024. He has offers from every major school Including LSU, Georgia, and Texas, but his priorities when choosing a home aren't about football.
"I'm focused on just how their academics are and being a student-athlete,” McKinley said. “I'm focused on the graduation rate before the team and how they work."
The senior grew up in a household with two educators. Once in college, his mind will work as hard as his muscles as McKinley plans to major in computer science.
"When I was young, I was usually doing stuff with the computer,” McKinley said. “I used to fix the computers and stuff."
“He's a guy that’s a full student-athlete,” McCullough said. “He concentrates on his grades and what he's supposed to do with football. He's focused on everything to be a successful person in the future.”
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