Inside the Process: Football Star Dunlap Is One of the Country’s Top Recruits

Mack Sutter will play great college football.

However, it remains a mystery where the 6-foot-2, 225-pound athlete from Dunlap will end up. However, the four-star prospect from the Class of 2026 has plenty of options, with a whopping 31 scholarship offers from Power 5 conferences since Jan. 25. 100 best national recruits it was offered by 12 programs in the final Top 25 rankings, including six in the top 10.

MacSutter: Every scholarship offer for this elite football player from Dunlap

The Journal Star’s Adam Duvall caught up with Sutter this summer to talk about his recruitment, playing other sports, changing positions, EA Sports’ new college football game and what makes SEC football so different.

Q: What did you learn about yourself in the recruiting process?

A: “What I’ve really learned is to trust my parents and all of their thoughts about what they think about these schools, but also to trust myself and what I like most, and what I think will be better for me.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve received about navigating the recruiting process?

A: “Really, from my family, I would say, especially my father (formerly Richwoods, Northwestern and NFL player Ed Sutter) who said: ‘Choose a place where you will improve and develop in football, but also, outside of football, where you will have fun, and we will have the best moments… because that will be your home for the next four years, unless you enter the (transfer) portal.’ “

Q: What was the most memorable moment from the whirlwind of college visits?

A: “The first (scholarship) offer (from Nebraska) was an incredible moment in my life. Getting that was always my goal. So when I got that, it was like I had almost achieved my dreams. I would say, when we went to Alabama and visited there, and then when they offered me, that was really cool too, because of their success and the size of Alabama football.

Q: What do you think of the changing landscape of college football? Name, Image and Likeness, transfer portal, conference realignment?

A: “It’s all crazy. That’s actually one thing I’m going to have to consider when committing to a school, because there are always people coming and going. So I could commit to a school and there could be one of the best results in the country the next day, so that’s something I have to look at as well. But yeah, this NIL and everything is crazy right now.

Q: Do you have any NIL business? Any in progress?

A: “Nothing yet. I haven’t looked into it much yet.”

Peoria Football Royalty: The Sutter and Mangieri family trees rooted in Dunlap and Richwoods football

Q: What is your biggest strength on the football field?

A: “This year, at the end, this summer and stuff, just my ability to get open and find space and get there, and then when the balls are in the air, go get them and make a play. … Last year, playing quarterback, I really couldn’t show people what I could do.”

Q: What do you struggle with?

A: “My biggest weakness would probably be line blocking. I haven’t really been doing that much, but I’ve been working on it and we’ve kind of gotten into it. I wouldn’t say I’m too bad at it, but I played center a little bit in the JFL, so I have a little bit of experience with that, but it’s coming, and I wouldn’t really say it’s a huge weakness, but it’s not really my strength.”

Q: What are you looking forward to this high school football season?

A: “I’m really looking forward to…our guys. We’re older this year. Last year we were young. We only had eight seniors, so coming back with an older group will be good too. And we have a lot of strength as well. We have a lot of others.” players, receivers and running backs, so we’re pretty loaded this year at the skilled position and also on the line that have been working hard this summer. They’ll put on a good show this fall.”

Q: What positions do you hope to play this season?

A: “I’ll probably play everywhere. I’ll play middle linebacker, wideout, slot, tight end, H-back and then linebacker, and then safety too, and maybe even a little special teams kicking here and there.”

Q: What about your position in college?

A: “In college, they see me as a tight end, more of a receiving tight end, who can flex and do those things, but also block, because that’s part of the tight end’s role.”

Q: Have you grown since last season?

A: “Right now I’m 6-6, 225. I’ve grown probably a few inches and gained about 20 pounds, working out this off-season at The House Barbell club with Joey O’Brien. He’s been giving me some meal plans and just training with me every day, and showing me techniques and stuff.”

Q: When do you expect to make a list of finalists? Making a decision about college?

A: “I was thinking about actually getting to the top 12 or 10 by the end of the summer. But as this process goes on, I’ve kind of thought about it more, and I don’t think I’m really going to narrow it down, or if I do , it could be late summer, but then I’ll make a decision at the end of the season, probably.”

Q: With the release of the new NCAA football game, is it crazy to think that in a few years you’ll be able to play as yourself?

A: “Yeah, that’s right. Last night, I was playing 2014, so I kind of grew up playing that game. It’s always been what I played. And my cousins, they were all playing college football when I was away too. So, I was always picking his teams and everything. So yeah, it’ll be really cool to be on it one day.

IHSA Football: 9 Games Around Peoria We’ve Circled on the 2024 IHSA Football Calendar

Q: Do you know what degree you want to pursue in college?

A: “I haven’t decided yet, but probably something to keep in sports. (Maybe) coaching or sports management, or there’s always business as well. Some kids in my family have done that, too.”

Q: Are you playing basketball?

“I’m going to play basketball both years too.”

Q: What’s the rest of the summer like for you?

A: “I’m really going to work with my team because that’s going to be the biggest goal because we have a big season coming up and what’s most important to me is working with my team so we can do whatever we want. Hopefully that will happen.” this year, but at the end of the month of July, I’ll be doing some visits because there’s a small period of the week where kids can go to campus. It’s actually a dead period right now, so no one can do visits. July is a lot of barbecues and stuff that schools have, so I hope there are some that week.

Q: Do you know specifically where you will go on visits?

A: “I’m not really sure. I was thinking about visiting schools that I haven’t seen yet because there’s no need to go back and visit them until I start to narrow it down, so I kind of just wanted to see the schools that I still I haven’t seen it, like Florida, maybe Miami and some other schools like that.”

Q: What did you see on your campus visits that really opened your eyes to SEC football?

A; “I’ve always been a Big Ten guy. Growing up, my family was in it, so that’s what I wanted to do. After I got some offers from the SEC and went to visit there, I kind of changed my mind about the whole Big Ten thing, because it’s different down there. They’re strictly football, and that’s all they care about, and they live and these players are different down there, and so on for these practices, I kind of changed my point of view. I feel like I’m playing in the best conference, which I do, so if you play in it, you have a good chance of going really far playing against the best guys every day.”

Adam Duvall is a sports reporter for the Journal Star. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared in the Journal Star: Dunlap’s Mack Sutter talks college football recruiting process ahead of IHSA season