Recruiting Wrap

Schools want Dexter McDonald to decommit

Posted by: Jeremy Werner

Friday, October 30, 2009 8:48 AM

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Dexter McDonald had visions of hoops stardom when he enrolled at Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst as a freshman basketball star. But the Illinois commitment will leave high school with dreams of making it big on the gridiron.

"In the end I think he knew (football) was his ticket," Rockhurst football coach Tony Severino said. "There's a lot of 6-foot-1 basketball players, but there's not many 6-foot-1, 185-190 pound corners who can run like him."

McDonald has tied the Rockhurst record for interceptions with seven this season. He'll aim to claim the record all to himself as the Hawklets (7-2) host Joplin tonight. He also has three blocked kicks. But Severino said the defensive back, who began playing football last year, is nowhere near a finished product.

"He's just a raw athlete," Severino said. "He's really only played two years of football, so a lot of his best is still ahead of him no matter where he goes. He's a big corner with long arms and great speed. He's just got great athletic skills. He's just learning how to use them on the football field."

McDonald committed to Illinois in June, giving the Illini its second straight year with a commitment from Rockhurst (quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is a freshman). But Severino said "there's an awful lot of people still calling (McDonald) and wanting him to break his commitment."

Severino said McDonald has worried about Illinois head coach Ron Zook's job security but that athletic director Ron Guenther's statement that Zook will return next year was encouraging.

"As much as every university presence wants to think that these kids are committing to their school, they're committing to the coach," Severino said. "That coach and those coaches are the guys that are recruiting them and form a relationship with. The school just happens to be maybe the final piece of the puzzle. ...But trust me, when it's all said and done that young man is committing to the coach.

"I think right now (McDonald's commitment is) pretty solid," Severino said. "We try not to talk about those things until the season's over. I'm glad he committed; I think that took a lot of pressure off him. But again, we won't mention it again until we're done playing."

If McDonald joins Scheelhaase on the Illini roster - which Severino thinks should happen - the Rockhurst coach said the Illini will be getting "a good one" but "a raw one."

"He just gets better everyday," Severino said. "That's the thing about a guy like him - you just see improvement daily. He's just a long way away. He's one of those guys that if he keeps improving, he has the physical skills to put himself in the NFL someday. But that's still a long way away. He's still gotta play here and finish here."

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