[3] When McLaughlin was in middle school, his mother lost her job and they lived in various places for short periods of time, switching between hotels, motels and relatives' houses.
[4] McLaughlin and his family moved in with a relative after several months of homelessness and he then entered Forest Hills High School.
[3] Additionally, the majority of teams that were interested in him only wanted him to play defensive back due to his small size (5 ft 7 in).
[4][6] Several weeks later, he managed to break the record again by posting 340 yards and three touchdowns against West Liberty, even though he played just three quarters.
[5] McLaughlin was named a first-team All-American, the first true freshman ever to win the honor for Notre Dame College, and placed third in voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy as top Division II player.
[10] In his first year at Youngstown State, the spring 2021 season (postponed from 2020 due to COVID-19), McLaughlin earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) honors while running for 691 yards and five scores in seven games.
[10] In the fall season, he ran for 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning first-team All-MVFC and third-team All-American honors.