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Dedrick Mackey doesn’t like the early mornings, but he loves the workouts.

As part of the group of underclassmen Boilermakers who aren’t playing on Saturdays, the cornerback is up before 6 a.m. to work out five days a week. It’s that additional workload, along with practices, that he hopes will put him in position to compete for a starting role in the spring.

So far, so good. The 5-foot-11 Mackey has already gained about 15 pounds since he arrived on campus in June, jumping up to 180-or-so. He’s done so with a balanced diet, plus the workouts, adding muscle that he had previously lacked.