Five-star defensive tackle Daylon Mack is already inspiring TCU fans to Photoshop images of him—and he hasn’t even committed yet.
Can’t wait to see the Mack Truck signs in the student section next year pic.twitter.com/OitpsgYkJV
— TCU STUDENT SECTION (@TCUstudentsect) January 15, 2015
Nonetheless, the Gladewater High School senior would be quite the steal if TCU were to recruit him. Having recorded 89 tackles for loss and 20 sacks over the past three seasons at Gladewater High School, Mack ranks No. 6 among ESPN’s Top 300 for the class of 2015 and sits as the No. 3 defensive tackle in the nation, according to ESPN.
Competition for Mack is tight, however. He’s received offers from more than 20 schools, including all four teams in the 2015 College Football Playoff. At one point, he held a 14-month commitment to Texas A&M before decommitting in December.
He hasn’t completely backed away from becoming an Aggie yet, but according to his Twitter, @DaylonMack, he has his eyes on TCU.
From unranked to top 3! I see ya TCU! #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/QXEq8kUyxr
— THEE MACK TRUCK (@DaylonMack) January 15, 2015
TCU is currently my leader!
— THEE MACK TRUCK (@DaylonMack) January 4, 2015
His family seems to like TCU as well, said Matt Jennings of Rivals.com.
“His mother just loved TCU when they came to visit,” Jennings said, “so we’ll see how that whole dynamic plays out.”
TCU’s defensive line could benefit from Mack’s unusual quickness for his 6-foot-1-inch, 330-pound frame. He has a knack for breaking through blockers and nailing sacks, as seen in his junior highlight video.
Mack showed what he could do at the Under Armour All-America Game. He was “impossible to block,” said ESPN’s Jeremy Crabtree. Despite his team ending with a blowout loss, Mack totaled seven tackles, three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and this sack:
If Mack chooses TCU, he’ll be joining a fairly stocked defensive line. Junior defensive tackles Davion Pierson and Terrell Lathan combined for 18 tackles for loss in the 2014 season. As a team, TCU was ranked No. 2 in the country with 112 tackles for loss in total.
Jennings said he doesn’t see Mack as a starter in his first year, but Mack’s “college ready” size should allow him to contribute to the team.
“He’s a smart kid,” Jennings said. “He knows he’s going to get a chance to play wherever he goes.”
But Mack isn’t completely sold out to TCU. Despite his decommitment from A&M, he traveled to A&M on Friday for an official visit, where he and his family were “thoroughly enjoying their trip to Aggieland,” according to 247Sports.
Great weekend in Aggieland!! #AsAlways
— THEE MACK TRUCK (@DaylonMack) January 18, 2015
That hasn’t stopped some TCU fans from encouraging Mack to become a Horned Frog, sharing the “Mack Truck” picture, along with its variants:
@DaylonMack Only a matter of time! #FeartheFrog pic.twitter.com/3CTQTuMS6f
— FrogFactory (@TCUbloodyeyes) January 15, 2015
2015 Champs, a Duck or Buck. 2016 Champs, a Frog – Rollin’ in a Mack Truck #GoFrogs #RiffRam @DaylonMack @FrogUpdates pic.twitter.com/uSU6YKTvKf
— Riff Ram Bah Zoo (@RiffRamTCU) January 9, 2015
Mack has an unofficial visit to TCU scheduled for Jan. 31.
