2023 Georgia Defensive Tackle Kayden McDonald Signs With Ohio State

McDONALD PROFILE

Hometown: Suwanee, Ga.

High School: North Gwinnett

Size: 6-foot-3, 310 pounds

Composite Ranking: ★★★★

Commitment Date: Oct. 31, 2022

The kid from Suwanee, GA is making his way north and poised to dominate the Big10 trenches. A part time running back, a full-time big human. All we can say is good luck everybody else and welcome to The Brotherhood Kayden McDonald#CHO23N | @KMac_DT pic.twitter.com/KPCaIS7LVV
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 21, 2022

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Recruitment Recap: When Ohio State extended an offer to Kayden McDonald in September 2021, most expected the Buckeyes to be in his recruitment to the end given his relationship with sophomore cornerback Jordan Hancock, his former high school teammate.

McDonald made his way to campus for the first time that fall, as he attended the 33-24 win over Penn State in October, which allowed him to spend time with head coach Ryan Day and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

The staff didn’t really ramp up its pursuit of McDonald, though, until they missed out on several higher-ranked defensive tackle targets, including Florida four-star John Walker to UCF and Georgia four-stars A.J. Hoffler and Darron Reed to Clemson and LSU, respectively.

McDonald took official visits with Florida in June, Michigan and Ohio State in September and Clemson and Oklahoma in October. He was trending toward the Sooners for much of his recruitment, but an in-school visit from Day ultimately sealed the deal for the Buckeyes.

Evaluation: "(McDonald is) virtually unblockable in one-on-one situations as a zero-technique nose tackle thanks to his strength and technique, but he’s also explosive and nimble for his size, which is how he’s scored eight touchdowns (seven rushing and one receiving) on offense.

"McDonald is built in the same mold as sophomore Tyleik Williams and redshirt freshman Michael Hall, albeit a bit lighter than Williams. He projects as someone who can play one- and three-technique positions and stuff the run while also providing pass-rush potential up the middle."

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