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DT Kayden McDonald (Official Thread)

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Bestbuck36 said:
Yeah he's my favorite in this class. I love his energy and attitude!
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Definitely one of my favorites as well, positive attitude has me reminded of BB Landers at DT. Really cool that Luke stopped by his game while visiting down there, can't underestimate how important it is for recruits to get close before they arrive to Columbus where possible. But on Kayden, crazy that he plays RB! Can you imagine trying to tackle that dude if he has a full steam ahead? Yikes. Reminds me of Nathan Williams, who played RB at Miami Trace before playing DE here...I faced him and the dude had 20 yards untouched when he got to me and I made the tackle, but man did he make me feel it lol. Really happy this kid joined the good guys, I think he'll be a good one.
 
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https://n.rivals.com/news/next-up-comparing-dt-recruits-to-college-and-nfl-stars

Not a fan of this comp, especially with how athletic and a big pass rusher that McDonald is. I thought McDonald was more like Quinnen Williams, IMO.
Kayden McDonald is the next Kenny Clark
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195
NATL
14
ST
8
POS
KAYDEN
MCDONALD

VERBAL COMMIT
10/31/2022
OHIO STATE
6'3" | 310 LBS | DT | 2023
NORTH GWINNETT
SUWANEE, GA
5.8

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-

NATL
39
ST
24
POS
KENNETH
CLARK

SIGNED LOI
7/3/2012
UCLA
6'2" | 275 LBS | DT | 2013
WILMER CARTER
RIALTO, CA
5.8

When Clark was at Rialto (Calif.) Carter, the four-star was 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds, a very talented player but wasn't projected to be this good. He has since morphed into a 6-foot-3, 314-pound productive monster who has put up tremendous stats in his professional career with the Green Bay Packers.

McDonald has completely skipped the 275-pound range and is about the same height and weight as Clark is now. He’s also incredibly productive along the defensive line, far from someone who just takes up space and actually makes plays in the backfield. Plus, the four-star from Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett is headed to Ohio State and will be under position coach Larry Johnson’s tutelage. The two definitely have similar qualities.
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I mean, he's got the size and athleticism of Warren Sapp but I'll give him time to work his game before making that comparison. Kid can be whomever he wants to be with where he is at now, it just depends on how bad he wants to be great and the work ethic to do it.
 
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Although he had been doing months of due diligence, Kayden McDonald didn’t decide where he was going to play college football until 24 hours before his decision date.

Choosing between a final five of Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida and Clemson, McDonald – a four-star from Suwanee, Georgia – kept coming back to his experiences in Columbus.

The Buckeye coaching staff had been doing a full-court press on the 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle for months, texting him daily to let him know he was a priority. He was also sold on Ohio State's academics, as McDonald wants to be a sports broadcaster one day and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Kirk Herbstreit.

On Oct. 30, one day before his decision, McDonald called the Ohio State coaching staff, who were in meetings one day after a win against Penn State. When the Georgia prospect told them he’d be the 21st OSU commit of the 2023 class the next day, McDonald heard the room light up over the phone.

“They clapped and cheered,” McDonald told Eleven Warriors. “It was a blessing to hear the coaches clapping and stuff.”

McDonald wants to be a sports broadcaster one day and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Kirk Herbstreit.
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Just sayin': Apparently Herbstreit's success at ESPN helped influence his decision to commit to Ohio State....8D
 
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IMMEDIATE IMPACT​

McDonald has the college-ready body to get on the field immediately. That said, the four-star prospect has plenty of competition ahead of him on the defensive tackle depth chart entering his freshman season, led by a projected two-deep of Mike Hall Jr., Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton and Tywone Malone.

Continuing to maximize his physical tools under Mickey Marotti’s guidance while developing his on-field skill set with Johnson’s tutelage will be his priorities for year one, while he should get at least a few snaps as a freshman, even if they only come when games are already out of hand.

“I see him as a nose guard,” Johnson said of McDonald when talking to the media on Tuesday. “320 (pounds) would probably (be good for him) because the game is much faster. ... He plays well with his body. He's got long arms ... a lot of the weight is in his upper body.”

LONG-TERM IMPACT​

Capable of being a difference-maker as both a pass-rusher and a run stuffer, McDonald should compete for a spot on the two-deep at nose tackle as a sophomore, especially if Hall and/or Williams forgo their senior years and declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Hero Kanu and fellow 2023 freshman Will Smith Jr. will also be among those looking to climb the depth chart between this year and next year, so McDonald will have competition, but he has plenty of upside to make an impact at Ohio State sooner than later.
 
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ScriptOhio said:


IMMEDIATE IMPACT​

McDonald has the college-ready body to get on the field immediately. That said, the four-star prospect has plenty of competition ahead of him on the defensive tackle depth chart entering his freshman season, led by a projected two-deep of Mike Hall Jr., Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton and Tywone Malone.

Continuing to maximize his physical tools under Mickey Marotti’s guidance while developing his on-field skill set with Johnson’s tutelage will be his priorities for year one, while he should get at least a few snaps as a freshman, even if they only come when games are already out of hand.

“I see him as a nose guard,” Johnson said of McDonald when talking to the media on Tuesday. “320 (pounds) would probably (be good for him) because the game is much faster. ... He plays well with his body. He's got long arms ... a lot of the weight is in his upper body.”

LONG-TERM IMPACT​

Capable of being a difference-maker as both a pass-rusher and a run stuffer, McDonald should compete for a spot on the two-deep at nose tackle as a sophomore, especially if Hall and/or Williams forgo their senior years and declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Hero Kanu and fellow 2023 freshman Will Smith Jr. will also be among those looking to climb the depth chart between this year and next year, so McDonald will have competition, but he has plenty of upside to make an impact at Ohio State sooner than later.
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I would wholeheartedly agree with the immediate and long-term impact assessment. McDonald was a huge pickup that I think was an underrated add, we needed a big time DT and McDonald fits the bill from the film I have watched. You want to see Hall, Tyleik, Hamilton and Malone as the two deep with their seniority (and there is Kanu of course, who hopefully improved and is physically ready to play), but we have had injury issues with Hall and Tyleik and even without that concern I could see Kayden forcing his way onto the field.
 
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RB07OSU said:
I would wholeheartedly agree with the immediate and long-term impact assessment. McDonald was a huge pickup that I think was an underrated add, we needed a big time DT and McDonald fits the bill from the film I have watched. You want to see Hall, Tyleik, Hamilton and Malone as the two deep with their seniority (and there is Kanu of course, who hopefully improved and is physically ready to play), but we have had injury issues with Hall and Tyleik and even without that concern I could see Kayden forcing his way onto the field.
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It's crazy that he's considered underrated and not talked about more. This is the type of southern DT that OSU has struggled to sign. He's a massive young man, and has elite athleticism(I mean he played RB for christ sakes). Can't wait to see him evolve, and hope he has better work habits than the other big DT in Williams
 
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