The Hometown Team: Class of 2022 OL Deuce McGuire Breaks Down Commitment Decision
Top Illinois recruit Danny “Deuce” McGuire announced his commitment to Northwestern on April 26. McGuire sat down with Sports Illustrated's Lauren Withrow to discuss his commitment decision in an exclusive interview. You can watch the full interview at the top of this page.
McGuire 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.
"Once I got the offer at Northwestern, I knew it was going to be really hard to beat ... It was hard not to just take it right away," McGuire said. "Since this recruiting process started, this is the school that like I knew, if they offered me, it'd be really hard to beat."
The 6'5", 270-pound offensive lineman out of Marist High School (Ill.) was the No. 7 recruit in the state of Illinois. Growing up close to the program, McGuire said that he'd always dreamed of receiving an offer from Chicago's Big Ten Team.
"Growing up around here, you watch them every single Saturday, just like most of the city of Chicago ... So being able to play for Chicago's Big Ten Team is going to be surreal for me."
McGuire received more than 20 offers, including five total from Big Ten schools. What stood out to him most about Northwestern's program was the honesty of the Wildcats' coaching staff.
"When they offer you, you know it's real," McGuire said. "If [other schools] offer you, sometimes it's not comfortable or something like that. So [Northwestern is] just very genuine, very transparent. That stuck out to me ... What you see is what you get with Northwestern. Everyone's transparent and genuine ... It's a family atmosphere."
McGuire has already begun forming a relationship with offensive line coach Kurt Anderson.
"We've been talking for a long time," McGuire said."We're really close. I know I can go to him if I need anything."
As for the specifics of what he's trying to improve upon during his senior year at Marist, McGuire said he's going back to the basics.
"Really everything," he said. "I'm just trying to get bigger, stronger, faster."
McGuire was the third to commit to Northwestern's Class of 2022, which has now grown to include 15 athletes. As one of the program's early commits, McGuire became a point of contact for recruits who had yet to make their commitment decision. He answered questions and encouraged potential Wildcats to join the purple and white as well.
"We're talking all the time," McGuire said of him and other members of his recruiting class. "Everyone's very laid back. Everyone's trying to get more and more guys who are considering committing. We're all doing our own fair share trying to build this class."
"I've met a few of them already on the official visits," McGuire continued. "It's fun because you're just reaching out to all these guys, and once they finally commit is a pretty good feeling, knowing that what you said or any questions you answered helped them."
When it comes to arriving on campus next fall, McGuire said he'll be most challenged by "the adjustment from being around the Southside of Chicago ... adjusting to the college life."
"There's such a big expectation," said McGuire. "You have to do so much ... just to prove it to everyone and even more myself."
What McGuire wants Northwestern fans to know about him as a player is simple: "I'm gonna give everything I have day in and day out, and just do anything. Do anything to win."
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Lauren Withrow is the Publisher of Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Withrow is also a Host/Reporter for Mountaineer Maven, Wolverine Digest, All Panthers and Illini Now. Follow Lauren on Twitter: @lolowithrow.