Kayden McDonald Leans on Ohio State Legend Before NFL Draft

Ohio State star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald revealed at the NFL Combine which Buckeyes legend he's been close with leading up to the draft.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (98) celebrates during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State has turned into “wide receiver university" over the last few seasons.

But don’t forget about all of the legendary defensive Buckeyes that have paved the way.

At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald spoke at length about how his experience playing college football with the Buckeyes prepared him for the NFL.

McDonald also turned heads when he disclosed his personal relationship with Cameron Heyward and his brother, Connor, who both play in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We have a great relationship,” McDonald said. “Cam is one of the best players to do it and he’s still playing. Having him around, just that brotherhood, I fit right in with him.”

McDonald’s brother played high school football with Cam Heyward, who has been a mainstay on Pittsburgh’s defensive line following a stellar career in Columbus that allowed him to become a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Heyward mentoring another great Buckeyes player isn’t surprising. McDonald landed a formal pre-draft interview with the Steelers, so perhaps it’ll be another Buckeyes reunion in Pittsburgh.

What McDonald said about growing as a player at Ohio State

McDonald said his favorite memory at Ohio State was winning the 2024 national championship with his teammates. However, his development during the three seasons he spent in Columbus will earn him an opportunity to be a first-round draft pick, which is rare for nose tackles in the modern NFL.

"Ohio State is the standard. Every day being a pro. Training like a pro. Film study like a pro. And just every day being the best you can be,” McDonald said. 

In 14 games under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, McDonald flourished as a consensus All-American. He finished the season with 65 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks.

“I would say just believing in me,” McDonald said about the impact that Patricia had on him. “When things didn’t go certainly, just staying positive and always having a smile on my face, being calm and being myself, that’s what he really wanted me to provide for myself.”

Ohio State and Matt Patricia prepared DT Kayden McDonald to become a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.

"Ohio State is the standard. Every day being a pro. Training like a pro. Film study like a pro. And just every day being the best you can be." pic.twitter.com/Nm0CbGvtlV

— BIGPLAY (@BIGPLAY) February 25, 2026

McDonald admitted that he envisioned himself at the NFL Combine since he started playing football as a four-year-old. Now, he’s in line to become the next great defensive player from Ohio State.

“Being held accountable, that’s what I said helped me at Ohio State,” McDonald said.

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