Top Illinois recruit Danny “Deuce” McGuire announced his commitment to Northwestern on April 26. He chose to join the Wildcats over several other Power 5 schools including Illinois, Michigan State, Arizona State, Tennessee, Oregon, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, West Virginia and California.
McGuire told Wildcats Daily that a big factor in his decision was familiarity with the program. “I obviously grew up around the program, being from Chicago, so once I got the offer from Northwestern I knew it was going to be really hard to beat for me,” he said.
In McGuire, Northwestern has signed a 6’5" 270-pound behemoth to their front line of protection. He was the No. 7 recruit in the state of Illinois while starring for Marist High School and was ranked a three-star prospect by 247 sports.
McGuire was the third commit of Northwestern’s 2022 class.
Below are his highlights from his junior season along with an analysis of his strengths and weaknesses.
Analysis:
Standing at a massive six feet and five inches tall and weighing 270 pounds, McGuire has the most important tool a lineman can have: size. That size combined with his power will make him a tough matchup for anyone lining up against him. He’s big enough to overpower just about anyone he’s matched up with, but also agile enough to move along the line of scrimmage with ease.
Mentally, he has shown to be a relentless blocker. Even after forcing someone to the ground, McGuire goes the extra mile to ensure they stay down by diving on top of them.
McGuire’s size allowed him to easily overpower his opposition at the high school level, but I am interested to see if that will translate to the next level against bigger, stronger competition. Those questions about how he’ll answer the bell physically at the next level should be answered by his dedication and work ethic in the weight room over the next few years. If he continues to stay in the gym he has the potential to be a major force at the line on the next level. Overall, his size and force as a blocker combined with his agility should help give the Wildcats quarterbacks plenty of time and protection in the pocket.
More must-reads: