Penn State football assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has powered the Nittany Lions' recruiting efforts, and the number of cornerbacks in their Class of 2027 is proof.
With four cornerbacks already committed, Penn State isn't in a spot where it should be too concerned about not landing another. However, the blue and white with Smith leading the charge have enough time to maybe change three-star Dhillon McGee's mind.
On Monday evening, McGee's commitment date was announced along with his top three teams in contention. On June 24, he will decide between the Nittany Lions, Texas Longhorns, and SMU Mustangs.
— Dhillon “Sauce” McGee (@Thereal_407) May 25, 2026
Three-star cornerback Dhillon McGee sets commitment date for June 24 after official visits with Penn State, SMU, and Texas
SMU is in the lead to land McGee. Per Rivals predictions, the Mustangs have an 87.5 percent chance at doing so while Penn State, in second, has a measly 5.6 percent chance.
The blue and white were previously very close to SMU when his original June 25 commitment date was announced. They had a 27.7 percent chance behind the Mustang's 37.8 percent chance.
While the gap between the the two has clearly broadened since mid-May, it's not due to new commitments Penn State has added. All four cornerbacks on the Class of 2027 roster have been committed since at least April 19, if not earlier. This shift in likelihood to land McGee could likely be due to head coach Matt Campbell shifting his attention to more positions in need.
McGee is ranked as a three-star prospect, according to both 247Sports Composite and Rivals Industry rankings. He's listed at No. 418 nationally and No. 42 at cornerback, per Rivals (No. 490 and No. 46, respectively, per 247Sports Composite rankings).
McGee's commitment date gives both the Nittany Lions and Longhorns one last chance to sway his mind, though. He's scheduled to visit SMU first out of the three over the weekend of June 5. McGee will then be in Happy Valley on June 12 and at Texas on June 19 before his decision date arrives.
The Mustangs are the closest to McGee, just 13 miles away from his hometown. The Red Oak, Tex. native is ranked 53rd from the state, according to Rivals. As a junior in 2025, he logged 31 total tackles, 15 passes defensed, and one tackle for loss. McGee also has some experience as a kick and punt returner.
Despite the Longhorns being the second closest to McGee out of his top three, he won't be a new visitor to Penn State once official visit season comes around. Before now Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin was fired midseason, McGee was in Happy Valley for the White Out game versus Oregon at the end of September. He returned once Campbell was hired for an unofficial spring visit on April 4 as well.
Staying in the fight for McGee is a testament to Smith's recruitment strategy and success.
Cornerback isn't a position the Nittany Lions need to be worried about, though adding another wouldn't necessarily hurt them. However, when comparing Class of 2027 cornerback rooms, it's surprising to see Penn State still in contention for McGee.
The Nittany Lions currently have four-star Kei'Shjuan Telfair and three-stars Ka'ron Ceasar, Zachary Gleason Jr., and Semajay Robinson committed at cornerback. Just in terms of sheer volume of commits in that position room, it's much tougher for McGee to compete, never mind having a pretty average size comparison to the four of them as well. SMU does not have a single cornerback committed, and Texas only has one.
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