Colorado transfer cornerback DJ McKinney commits to Notre Dame
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Colorado transfer cornerback DJ McKinney is committing to Notre Dame, On3 has learned. He just finished up his junior season with the Buffaloes.
Over his time in college football in Boulder and with Oklahoma State, McKinney has amassed 135 total tackles. He’s picked off four passes, forced a fumble and accumulated 18 total tackles.
Deion Sanders formerly claimed McKinney would be a high first-round pick at the NFL level: “It’s overshadowed to y’all, not to us,” Sanders said when he was asked if McKinney’s impact was overshadowed by Travis Hunter’s prolific play.
“You guys don’t mention him, but we mention him every every moment we can. I mention him every day to the scouts that are asking me about him every single day we practice. DJ is long, he can run, he competes. … The kid can flat out play the game.”
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Colleyville, Texas, native came out of Colleyville Heritage High School as a three-star prospect who was rated as the No. 75 cornerback in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Moreover, McKinney was rated as a three-star prospect in the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings. He was the No. 263 overall recruit, and the No. 27 overall defensive back available after entering their name into the portal before committing to a new beginning. You can check out the full rankingsHERE to see where each athlete slots in.
“He practices with the same tempo, the same level of consistency,” Sanders added. “He’s a first-round pick to me, maybe not this year but next year for sure.
“And I know if he has any aspirations of going into the draft, he wants to be a first rounder. That’s why I’m saying that. I think the guy has all the qualifications to be a first-round pick. High first-round pick.”
The 2025-26 college football transfer portal will last 15 days, spanning from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, the NCAA decided. While players have just over two weeks to enter the portal, they’re not under a deadline to commit when they enter. Traditionally, the cut-off for committing has been how late a school can enroll a player through admissions, so it varies throughout the sport.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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