Halloween is usually associated with houses of horror.
But for Ohio State, it brought the Buckeyes one of their biggest treats in the 2023 class. After committing to OSU on Halloween, four-star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald had a drama-free recruitment in the final two months before officially signing his National Letter of Intent with the Buckeyes on Wednesday.
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
McDonald, who picked OSU over Clemson, Oklahoma, Michigan and Florida, had been recruited by the Buckeyes since the beginning of his junior season and made his first visit to Columbus on Oct. 30, 2021, when OSU played Penn State.
The McDonald File
- Class: 2023
- Size: 6-3/310
- Pos: Defensive tackle
- School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Georgia)
- Star Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #278 (#38 DL)
After that visit, things were fairly quiet on the McDonald front at OSU, but the two sides re-engaged in the fall of 2022, as the 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle made an official visit for the Wisconsin game. McDonald was impressed by how improved the Buckeyes were defensively under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles compared to what he saw on the field a year ago.
“It’s a different vibe with Coach Knowles being the defensive coordinator,” McDonald told Eleven Warriors after his visit. “The defense looks faster. They’re playing more together and relentless. It’s a relentless defense and a national championship-type defense.”
After the visit, Ryan Day, Larry Johnson and other members of Ohio State’s coaching staff were in relentless pursuit of the Georgia native rated the 278th-best prospect and 38th-best defensive lineman per 247Sports’ composite rankings. They communicated with him daily, and made it a priority to visit him at his high school during the team’s off week.
“The staff made it very clear that Columbus is home for me,” McDonald said.
After going through the recruitment process and taking all of his official visits, McDonald kept coming back to what it would be like to play for Johnson, the shot to contribute early and the future broadcasting success he could have as a broadcasting major at OSU. He committed to the Buckeyes on Halloween, ending a commitment drought for the Buckeyes in 2023 that lasted nearly two months.
“Why not OSU?” McDonald said regarding why he committed to the Buckeyes. “I picked OSU because of the academics, culture, opportunity to play and compete with the best, my relationship with coach Johnson and coach Day, plus the city of Columbus and the chance to win a national championship.”
McDonald will join his former high school teammate, cornerback Jordan Hancock, at OSU.
“Jordan has been recruiting since they offered me,” McDonald said. “He played a major role. I can’t wait to ball with my bro. We were neighbors, so it’s crazy to be teammates again.”
Hancock in turn was thrilled he’d be reunited with McDonald, and pledged he’d mentor his former teammate once he arrives on campus.
“Kayden’s a dog,” Hancock said. “I grew up with Kayden, and we’re kind of neighbors. We live in the same neighborhood. He's gonna be a dog, be a team player. He’d do anything for our team to win. So, I'm happy for him to be a Buckeye with me and just have another friend from Georgia. You know, we want to get a pipeline from Georgia going. So I feel like that's coming in.
“I was really (recruiting) him hard, recruiting him because that's my boy. So, I really loved him for coming here. And I’ll look out for him when he's here. I’m so thankful for that.”
McDonald gives Ohio State a true defensive tackle for the 2023 class, and a player capable of both rushing the passer and clogging up running lanes. In 12 games this season for North Gwinnett High School (Suwanee, Georgia), McDonald racked up 68 tackles (40 for loss), 13 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and a pass deflection. His junior season was even more impressive, as he racked up 95 tackles (58 for loss) in 12 games with a whopping 19 sacks and 15 quarterback hurries while also adding three pass deflections.
It’s entirely possible Day may be tempted to use McDonald as a goal-line ball carrier, as the defensive tackle thrived in that role this season. McDonald ran for 409 yards on 77 carries with 11 touchdowns.
“After my first touchdown, coach Day called and jokingly said he calls the plays, and if I come to Ohio State, he’ll let me tote the rock on a goal line package,” McDonald said.
McDonald is expected to be a summer enrollee and will join the Buckeyes’ workouts in June.
