DUNLAP — Mack Sutter will leave high school early.
The four-star tight end told the Journal Star he plans to graduate from Dunlap after the fall 2025 semester and enroll at the University of Alabama for the 2026 semester and in time for spring football practice. Sutter will make a visit this weekend to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Crimson Tide home opener against Louisiana-Monroe.
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“I’ll be graduating at the end of the semester,” Sutter said. “… It was a really hard (decision), but I kind of had do what’s best for me because I got to get down there, put on some muscle and weight, then learn the playbook and all that for my future.”
Sutter, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound senior, is coming off a Week 1 performance that included four receptions for 59 yards and a 23-yard, first-quarter touchdown. He also forced a fumble in Dunlap’s 44-0 season-opening victory.
Sutter committed to Alabama in June after an 18-month recruiting pursuit from 45 programs, highlighted by a combined 30 offers from the Big Ten and SEC. He is one of the most sought-after football recruits in Peoria-area history.
The early graduation means Sutter will miss his senior basketball season.
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Sutter was an all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team selection as a junior, leading the Eagles in scoring (13.2 per game) and rebounding (7.2 per game). He helped lead the Eagles to a 10-20 overall record and 6-8 mark in league play under first-year coach Ryan Julius.
“I’ll miss (basketball),” Sutter said. “Coach Julius — love him, but they’ll be good this year. They’re in good hands with him.”
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: Alabama recruit from Dunlap, Illinois, to graduate early
