Northwestern Wildcats Battling With 3 Other Programs for 4-Star Guard

With the offseason in full swing, Chris Collins and his staff are already out on the recruiting trail.

Northwestern's latest target is combo guard Jimmy McKinney III, who Rivals ranks as a four-star prospect and No. 43 overall in the 2027 class. Assistant coach Chris Lowery, whose defensive scheme helped reshape the Wildcats' identity in 2022-23, officially extended an offer to McKinney on Monday.

"Blessed and grateful to receive an offer from @NUMensBball," McKinney said in a social media post. "Thank you Coach [Lowery]."

The St. Louis, Missouri, native is 6-foot-2, 160 pounds and plays for Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal's 16U EYBL team. On the circuit for Brad Beal Elite, McKinney dropped 23 points and six assists in a game on Friday, then 25 points and seven rebounds on Sunday. Following the Memphis competition, McKinney picked up the offer from Lowery and the Wildcats.

Northwestern is McKinney's fourth high-major offer. His father, also named Jimmy McKinney, was a guard at Missouri from 2002 to 2006 and played overseas until 2015. The younger McKinney received a legacy offer from the Tigers in July of 2024, and was later offered by Iowa State in October.

In addition to Northwestern, the Iowa Hawkeyes also officially offered McKinney on Monday.

The sophomore led Vashon High School to a Class 4 State Championship win in March and was subsequently named an All-State selection by Missouri coaches. After averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, McKinney also earned All-Metro honors from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Read More Northwestern Wildcats Coverage