Tuesday, February 1, 2022
McKinney’s recruitment blossomed after direct message Daniel Allen Staff Reporter Dylahn McKinney allowed one deep pass to be completed at Colleyville Heritage. At least, according to Colleyville Heritage coach Kirk Martin. Martin expected the average response from a star defensive back after giving up a big explosive play. Arms being thrown up, poor body language or jawing at the safety or other cornerback on the field. Instead, he watched McKinney hustle to the line of scrimmage on the ensuing PAT. He was the first one to line up, and blocked the PAT. The sideline jumped with excitement, expressing their fondness of McKinney’s plays. Martin said McKinney walked to the sideline, tuning out the cheers, and immediately sent motivation and encouragement to his offensive teammates. “It’s just who (Dylahn) is,” Martin said. “He’s a blue collar, tough, physical, intelligent, hard-nosed kid who just goes to work every chance gets.” Moments like that made McKinney stick out to Martin, the Colleyville Heritage coaching staff, his teammates and college coaches. McKinney’s recruiting process got off to a sluggish start. Colleyville Heritage was playing a district game against Red Oak High School during McKinney’s junior season. McKinney was assigned to guard the No. 1 wide receiver, who at the time had complied substantial stats and was committed to Oklahoma State. The receiver was Raymond Gay, who is now a freshman playing cornerback at OSU. Before the game, McKinney had watched film scrupulously and saw Gay’s playmaking ability. He heard the hype, and witnessed the stats. None of this phased McKinney. Colleyville Heritage recorded a 27-13 victory over Red Oak. McKinney allowed Gay to five receptions for 35 yards. McKinney recalls Gay messaging him on Instagram after the game, commending him for the defensive performance. “(Raymond) is my guy,” McKinney said. “When he (direct messaged) me it made me respect him even more than I had prior. I always appreciate people like that. I love good sportsmanship, it’s what the game (of football) should be all about.” The two formed a bond that would lead to McKinney’s college recruitment elevating to the next level. Days later, McKinney received a phone call from Tim Duffie, the cornerbacks coach at OSU. “Coach (Duffie) told me that the receiver from Red Oak, Raymond (Gay), had told him about me,” McKinney said. “He said he told them about how I’d locked him down and everything, and how they’d watched my film and all, and that they were interested in me.” Shortly after, McKinney received an offer. McKinney already held offers from Arkansas and Kansas. He knew none of those schools had the success OSU had. McKinney, overcome with excitement, knew OSU would be one of his final schools when his commitment came around. “Getting an offer from a place like Oklahoma State is something you dream of as a player,” McKinney said. “It was such a surreal moment for me and honestly still is when I look back at it.” McKinney’s recruitment started to skyrocket after OSU offered. He received offers from SMU, Colorado, Baylor, UCF and Missouri. As the offers poured in, the pressure started to pile up.
Chris Becker
McKinney, seeking advice for handling a big process like college recruitment, turned to his step-brother Anthony Cook. Cook, a junior defensive back at Texas at the time, had experience with the college recruiting process. McKinney recalls countless instances where he and Cook would talk on the phone and work out certain instances and how to deal with them. “I remember throughout his recruiting process I experienced it with him in a way,” McKinney said, “I took notes and everything on how to deal with certain situations, and when the time came I reached back out to him for help and he was there. He really opened my eyes to the recruiting process as a whole and everything that
came along with it.” On July 4, McKinney committed to OSU. “I feel like I could have gone anywhere I wanted to,” McKinney said. “The honesty and transparency from the Oklahoma State coaching staff just stood out to me more than anything else thrown my way. Every time I talked to them I felt like I was talking to like a family member and it felt real to me.” McKinney, who signed and enrolled along with the other 2022 commitments, said he feels the defensive culture is on the rise at OSU. He said he knows the offensive culture and history in Stillwater, yet is well aware of the defensive success for the Cowboys. “I’m just so excited for him to
be a part of that defense at Oklahoma State,” Martin said. “You know he’s been the true leader of our defense here at Colleyville Heritage for at least the last two years, probably three to be honest. But yeah, he’s a very special kid, a very special player who is without a doubt going to do big things at Oklahoma State.” Photo name
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