Penn State football news: 2027 CB picks Nittany Lions over SMU, Texas

Penn State added another defensive back to its 2027 recruiting class on Wednesday, as three-star cornerback Dhillon McGee announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions over fellow finalists SMU and Texas.

McGee, a top prospect from the Dallas-area, becomes the 22nd member of Penn State’s 2027 class and the third cornerback commitment alongside Kei’Shjuan Telfair of Ohio and Ka’ron Ceaser of New Jersey. His pledge comes at an important time for the Nittany Lions after losing cornerback commitments Semajay Robinson and Zachary Gleason Jr. earlier this month.

McGee is rated as the No. 498 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 47 cornerback in the 2027 class and the No. 67 player in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is also ranked as the No. 17 overall player in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the fourth-best cornerback in the region.

McGee previously played at Red Oak High School and is set to spend his senior season at DeSoto High School. DeSoto has won three of the last four Texas Class 6A state championships and will compete in Class 5A Division I following realignment. During his junior season at Red Oak, McGee recorded 31 tackles, one tackle for loss and 15 pass breakups/defended passes.

Listed at approximately 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, McGee attracted considerable recruiting attention, collecting 31 scholarship offers. His offer sheet included programs such as Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, TCU, USC, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Baylor, Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas State, Pitt and West Virginia.

Penn State’s pursuit of McGee began in August 2025 when cornerbacks coach Terry Smith extended an offer. Smith continued to prioritize McGee through the coaching transition and maintained a strong relationship with the Texas defensive back and his family. McGee visited Penn State multiple times, including an official visit from June 12-14, after also taking official visits to SMU and Texas earlier in the month.

The Mustangs were considered a major contender following McGee’s June 5-7 visit, while the Longhorns hosted him June 19-21. Despite those in-state options, the Nittany Lions secured the commitment and bolstered a recruiting class that had previously climbed as high as No. 4 nationally before recent decommitments. With McGee now in the fold, Penn State’s 2027 class is ranked among the nation’s top groups, including No. 10 nationally according to the 247Sports Team Composite.

In addition to football, McGee is a three-sport athlete who competes in baseball and track. As a freshman, he clocked 100-meter times of 10.64 and 10.92 seconds in wind-legal races.

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