Terry Smith has a weight lifted off his shoulders after target CB commitment announcement

Penn State football finally got the recruitment juice it needed.

After losing two 2027 cornerbacks, Semajay Robinson and Zachary Gleason Jr., the Nittany Lions found redemption with three-star Dhillon McGee. McGee is ranked as the No. 447 recruit nationally and No. 43 cornerback, per Rivals Industry Ratings.

Leading up to his commitment date, SMU and Texas were still top contenders to land the 2027 prospect. The Mustangs held a huge lead for some time, but Penn State surged forward as the leader in this race just a couple days before McGee committed. Sam Spiegelman of Rivals logged an expert prediction on June 22 favoring the blue and white to land the cornerback.

This shift in momentum happened just after McGee's June 12-14 official visit.

Three-star cornerback Dhillon McGee commits to Penn State over SMU and Texas

"Penn State stands out because of the development, the people, and the opportunity," McGee told 247Sports national recruiting analyst Mike Roach. "Ever since they offered, they've stayed consistent and made me feel like a priority. I believe the coaching staff has a real plan for me on and off the field, and I can see myself growing there as a player and as a person."

This is a huge win for head coach Matt Campbell and associate head coach/cornerbacks coach Terry Smith.

McGee has been a longtime target of Smith's, going back to when former head coach James Franklin was in charge. The cornerback told Rivals that Smith was a major part of his recruitment, noting the home visit he took to visit McGee in Texas.

As for Campbell's win aside from adding to his 2027 class, he also beat out two in-state options for McGee. SMU is just about 13 miles from McGee's hometown in DeSoto, Texas, and the Longhorns are about 170 miles from his home. Penn State was the blatantly obvious outlier.

However, McGee told 247Sports that playing in the Big Ten was a contributing factor into his commitment. He said that opportunity was hard to pass up on as well as being a part of the Nittany Lions' tradition and passionate fan base.

In 2026, McGee will finish his high school career at DeSoto High School. He transferred from Red Oak following his junior season. He logged 31 tackles and 15 passes defended in 2025, according to his MaxPreps stats. Joining the Eagles for his senior season should put a bigger spotlight on him and hopefully confirm that Smith made the right decision to stay persistent in McGee's recruitment.

McGee joins four-star KeiShjuan Telfair and three-star Ka'ron Ceasar, both previously committed cornerbacks from the class. Penn State has safeties Jonathan Galette and Caleb Cooper in the defensive backfield as well.

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