Ohio State Buckeyes–No. 98 | |
---|---|
Position | Defensive tackle |
Class | Junior |
Personal information | |
Born: | [1] | March 13, 2004
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Weight | 326 lb (148 kg) |
Career history | |
College | Ohio State (2023–present) |
High school | North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Georgia) |
Career highlights and awards | |
Kayden McDonald (born March 13, 2004) [1] is an American football defensive tackle for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
McDonald attended North Gwinnett High School located in Suwanee, Georgia. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a four star recruit, and the 290th overall player in the class of 2023, where he committed to play college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes over offers from other schools such as Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Clemson, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Jackson State, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Purdue, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Troy, UCF, USC, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin. [2]
During his first collegiate season in 2023, McDonald appeared in just four games making just one tackle. [3] In week two of the 2024 season, McDonald tallied three tackles in a victory versus Western Michigan. [4] In week ten, he notched one tackle, helping the Buckeyes stop the Nittany Lions from scoring on third goal late in the fourth quarter, to helped the Buckeyes survive beating Penn State 20-13. [5] During the 2024 season, McDonald played in all 16 games, recording 19 tackles with two being for a loss, and a pass deflection. [6] [7] Heading into the 2025 season, he will compete for a starting spot along the Buckeyes defensive line. [6] [7] [8]