Usage / Role
100%
Featured defensive role
lowfeatured
Player Dossier
2023-2025Ohio State
Kayden McDonald
DL • 6'3" • 326 lbs • Suwanee, GA, USA
Ball-hunting defenderSplash play profile
Kayden McDonald shows a ball-hunting defender profile with 29.3 disruption score.
Impact Production
100
Top-tier box-score impact for a defensive lineman
lowelite
Reliability
100
Regular contributor with several takeover games
lowhigh
Star Power
92
Blue-chip, NFL-level ceiling
limitedstar
Career Arc
Value trend by season
Best season by Season Value: 2025 Postseason · Ohio State
2324242525
Snapshot
- Career Teams
- 1
- Unique Seasons
- 3
- Program Path
- Ohio State
- Peak Game
- Peak game by takeover score: Washington
Player Story
Kayden McDonald built his college career from 2023 through 2025 as a defensive lineman from Suwanee, GA wearing No. 98, spending time with Ohio State. The clearest part of Kayden McDonald's career was his defensive...
Read the story4★
- Committed To
- Ohio State
- Commit Date
- Jan 1, 2023
NFL Draft
- Draft Year
- 2026
- Selection
- Round 2 · Pick 4
- Overall
- No. 36
- NFL Team
- Houston Texans
Kayden McDonald, DL. Best season Best season by Season Value: 2025 Postseason · Ohio State. Kayden McDonald shows a ball-hunting defender profile with 29.3 disruption score.
Quick Answers
Kayden McDonald quick answers
- Latest team and position
- Ohio State · DL
- Career Tackles
- 85
- Tracked sample
- 3 unique seasons · 5 entries · 26 games
- Best season
- 2025 Postseason · Ohio State
- Top game
- Washington
- Recruit profile
- 4-star · North Gwinnett · Ohio State
- High school pipeline
- North Gwinnett · 45 FBS recruits · 7 drafted players
- NFL Draft
- 2026 · Round 2 · Pick 4 · Houston Texans
- Latest roster
- No. 98 · Junior
- 2025 Tackles rank
- 65 tackles · DL 6th (top 1%) · Big Ten 48th (top 7%) · National 336th (top 6%)
Kayden McDonald played DL for Ohio State. Across 3 tracked seasons, Kayden McDonald recorded 85 tackles. His top tracked season came in 2025 with Ohio State.
Recognition
Honors
- 20252025 All-Big Ten Coaches · conference_coachesfirst
- 20252025 All-Big Ten Media · conference_mediafirst
Player Profile
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