DT Kayden McDonald, 80 OVR
An 80 overall isn’t a bad rating, but the largest man on Ohio State’s defense is primed to feast in 2025.
McDonald, a 6-foot-3, 326-pound nose guard with an unnaturally quick first step at that size, managed to turn heads despite playing behind the stalwart defensive tackle tandem of Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton in 2024. McDonald may well have been the Buckeyes’ most valuable subpackage defender last year, a central cog in what probably goes down as the best goal-line defense in team history. He’d play head-up on opposing centers in such looks, and made his presence felt on plays like this 3rd-and-goal against Penn State:
“That was probably my favorite moment (of the season),” McDonald said after the season. “I just wanted to win that game and be ready when my number was called. No matter how many plays you get, it’s up to you when they call your name, so that’s how I go about it.”
McDonald played plenty of spot duty, too, logging 214 snaps, the most of Ohio State’s defensive tackles outside Hamilton and Williams, who are both off to the NFL. He collected 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in that time. Set to start at nose guard for the Buckeyes in 2025, McDonald has already shown that 80 overall could be far too low.
Kayden McDonald and Payton Pierce are among Ohio State's most underrated players in the new EA Sports college football video game.
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