Inside the process: Dunlap football star is one of the nation's top recruits

Mack Sutter will play big-time college football.

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

Mack Sutter: Every scholarship offer for this elite Dunlap football player

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

Q: What have you learned about yourself in the recruiting process?

A: "What I've really learned is kind of trust my parents and all their thoughts with what they think about these schools, but then also to just trust myself and what I like best, and what I think will be best for me down the road."

Q: What is the best advice you’ve gotten about navigating the recruiting process?

A: "Really, from my family, I'd say, especially my dad (former Richwoods, Northwestern and NFL player Ed Sutter ) who said, 'Choose a place where you'll get better and develop at football, but also, outside of football, where you'll have fun, and we'll have the best times ... because that'll be your home for the next four years, unless you enter the (transfer) portal.' "

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

A: "The first (scholarship) offer (from Nebraska ) was an awesome moment of my life. Just receiving that was kind of always my goal. So when I got that, it was like I almost achieved my dreams. I'd say, when we went down to Alabama and visited there, and then when they offered me, that was also very cool, because of how successful they are and how big Alabama football is."

Q: What are your thoughts on 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'll have to kind of look into when I commit to a school, because there's always people moving in and out. So, I could commit to a school and there could be one of the top tight ends in the country there the next day. So that's that's something I have to look at, too. But yeah, this NIL and everything's crazy. It's almost like a business now. But, yeah, it's changed a ton."

Q: Do you have any NIL deals? Any in the works?

A: "Nothing yet. I haven't really looked into it much."

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

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

Q: What's something you struggle with?

A: "My biggest weakness would probably be the in-line block. I haven't really done it much, but I'm working at it, and we've kind of got into it. I wouldn't say I'm too bad at it, but I played a little bit of center in JFL, so I have a little bit of background of that, but it's coming, and I wouldn't really say it's too big of a 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 ... our guys. We're older this year. Last year, we were young. We only had, like, eight seniors, so coming back with an older group will be nice, too. And we also have a ton of strength. We have a just like a ton of other players, receivers, running backs, so we're pretty loaded this year on the skilled position and also on the line, too. We got some guys who have been working hard this summer. They'll put on a good show this fall."

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

A: "I'll probably play all over. I'll play middle linebacker, wideout, slot, tight end, H-back, and then linebacker, and then safety as well, and then maybe even a little bit of special teams kicking here and there."

Q: What about your position in college?

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

Q: Have you grown since last season?

A: "Right now, I'm 6-6, 225. I've grown probably like an inch, and I've gained about 20 pounds, been working this offseason at The House Barbell club with Joey O'Brien. He's been getting me on some meal plans and just working out with me every day, and showing me techniques and stuff."

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

A: "I was thinking about actually making, like, a top 12 or 10 by the end of the summer. But kind of, as this process goes by, I kind of thought of it more, and I don't think I really will really ever narrow it down, or if I do, it might be at the end of the summer, but then I'll make a decision at the end of the season, probably."

Q: With the new NCAA football game coming out, is it crazy to think that in a few years you could be playing as yourself?

A: "Yeah, it really is. Last night, I was just playing 2014, so I kind of grew up playing that game. It's always been what I was playing. And my cousins, they were all all playing in college football when it was out too. So, I was always choosing their teams and all that. So yeah, it'll be really cool to hopefully be in it one day."

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

A: "I haven't really decided yet, but probably something to stick with sports. (Maybe) coaching or sports management, or there's always business, too. A couple kids in my family have done that as well."

Q: Are you planning to play basketball?

"I'll play basketball for the two years, as well."

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

A: "I'll just really be working with my team because that will be the biggest goal, because we have a big season coming up and that's kind of what's most important to me is working with my team, so we can do what we're expected to do this year. But at the end of the month of July, I'll go on a couple of visits because there's like a little week period where kids can go on campus. It's actually a dead period right now, so nobody can go on any visits. The last week of July is a bunch of cookouts and stuff that schools have, so hopefully a few in that week."

Q: Do you know specifically where you'll go on visits?

A: "Not really sure. I was thinking about hitting schools I haven't really seen yet, because no need to really go back and visit them until I start getting narrowing it down, so I've kind of wanted to just see schools that I haven't really seen yet, like Florida, maybe Miami and some other schools like that."

Q: What have you seen on your on-campus visits that has really opened your eyes to SEC football?

A; "I've always been a Big Ten guy. Growing up, that's all my family played in, so that's kind of what I wanted to do. After I got a few SEC offers, and I went and visited down there, it kind of changed my mind on, like, the whole Big Ten thing, because down there, it's just different. They're just strictly football, and that's all they care about, and they live by and those players are just different down there, and going to those practices just like, kind of changed my point of view. And I feel like if playing in the best conference, which I think, so if you play in that, then you got a good chance to go pretty far playing against the best guys every day."

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

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Inside the process: Dunlap football star is one of the nation's top recruits