2028 TE Jordan McKinley Shines at Notre Dame Irish Invasion, Eyes Potential Offer
2028 Loyola Academy (Ill.) tight end Jordan McKinley is no stranger to Notre Dame.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect has been making trips to South Bend since seventh grade and returned again on Friday for Irish Invasion.
“It was really good,” said McKinley. “I met a lot of great people. Carter (Auman) invited me out again. Shout out to him. It's always a great experience.”
McKinley enjoyed competing against a loaded tight end group and testing himself against some of the nation's top defensive prospects.
“Last year I got to know a lot of these guys who were nationally ranked,” explained McKinley. It’s pretty cool going against guys who are just like you and have the same goals as you.”
The camp also served as a measuring stick for the four-star prospect, who felt the difference between this year's performance and the one he turned in a year ago.
“Every day, it's just constant growth,” stated McKinley. “Getting back to it every day. Last year, I thought I didn't have a day as good as today, but today, I balled out. I got called out for one-on-ones, so that was awesome. So just getting out there and getting better is the main part of this.”
McKinley also enjoyed the opportunity to work with Notre Dame offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Mike Denbrock.
The Illinois native has built a relationship with Denbrock over multiple visits and Friday only strengthened their relationship.
“He’s a really nice guy,” McKinley said. “He’s really competitive and we really got after it today. He’s a really funny guy, but he’s really intense. He’s trying to teach you proper instructions and the fundamentals of teh game, so it’s really nice hearing from a guy like that.”
The feedback from Denbrock was encouraging.
“Coach Denbrock even told me you’re getting a call out today after a great performance,” McKinley explained. “I won 7-8 reps, so it went pretty well.”
As for what’s next, McKinley plans to make a game this fall as Notre Dame Stadium is a place he already loves.
“I’d love to get back down here for a game,” stated McKinley. “I think it’s just good down here being in that stadium. There’s a lot of excitement and it’s the loudest I’ve ever been in.”
McKinley will now head to Ohio State later this month for camp, but that’s the only other visit on the schedule as of now.
Notre Dame made a move this weekend, and if an offer comes in, the Irish might be hard to beat.
“I’ve been coming here since seventh grade,” smiled McKinley. This is like my ninth time here, so it’s a long process, but I know it’s coming soon.”
And while McKinley left Irish Invasion feeling good about his performance on the field, he admitted the tight ends fell short in one competition.
“It was really funny,” said McKinley. “Our tight ends group didn’t know how to cook, but teamwork is the biggest thing. That’s grill and chill time. (The winner) was a well done steak. We had medium-rare. That’s all I got.”
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