Wish to assault day-after-day with the newest Georgia soccer recruiting information? That’s the Intel. This rep has the newest with North Gwinnett 4-star DT Kayden McDonald. He ranks because the nation’s No. 35 DL and the No. 247 total prospect for 2023 on the 247Sports Composite rankings.
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Kayden McDonald had a junior season akin to what Barry Bonds did in his baseball prime. The 4-star DT racked up probably the most unbelievable manufacturing final fall for an inside defensive lineman.
- 96 tackles and 62 tackles for losses
- 20 sacks (!!!)
- 7 sacks within the first spherical of the 7A playoffs in opposition to South Forsyth
- 3 sacks and a 4-yard landing catch (!!!) within the second spherical of the 7A playoffs in opposition to Brookwood
- 14 (!!) sacks between Nov. 5 and Nov. 19 of his 2021 season.
To repeat, that was simply his junior yr. Not a profession.
“It’s dominating,” North Gwinnett coach Invoice Stewart stated final November. “It was very particular and the largest factor is he has obtained one other yr.”
That “one other yr” begins on tv tonight.
McDonald’s first reps as a senior may have loads of eyes on him. His North Gwinnett group can be dealing with Northside-Warner Robins stay at 6 p.n. for an unprecedented spring observe broadcast stay on Peachtree TV, the CBS46 app and the NFHS community. Archer and Marietta Excessive Faculty would be the different recreation of the jamboree on the telecast.
No defensive lineman within the nation had a extra prolific stat line than McDonald did in 2021. It could not be a attain to say no zero-tech nostril has ever had seven sacks in a playoff recreation after which caught a landing within the subsequent spherical of the playoffs.
Particularly contemplating he performs a 7A area schedule (with 2021 state champ Collins Hill and quarterfinalist Mill Creek) in Gwinnett County. Not solely that, however McDonald and his Bulldogs confronted groups like Archer, North Cobb, Hoover (Ala.) and Parkview in non-region play.
Stuff like that doesn’t occur. But McDonald made that occur. He tied the varsity document for sacks in a season. These tackles for losses broke this system document.
The earlier college document holder was additionally McDonald. His MaxPreps stats bio credit him with 29 stops for losses in 2020, however that determine was seemingly so much greater than that to be the document at a stout program like North Gwinnett.
“That simply reveals how dominating he will be,” Stewart stated. “That’s Reggie White-like. He can dominate a recreation inside and he’s actual powerful to dam.”
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound McDonald is ranked because the nation’s No. 35 DL and the No. 247 total recruit for 2023 on the 247Sports Composite scale. Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma and Georgia are a small batch of the colleges which have been recruiting him onerous of late.
Clemson and Ohio State have been two of his greatest visits final fall. He’s been to Arkansas and Oklahoma, amongst others, up to now this yr.
McDonald was at Georgia final month for G-Day. That gave him an opportunity to relax with Georgia defensive position coach Tray Scott. McDonald has thought of Scott to be an uncle or member of the household for a while.
4-star North Gwinnett (Ga.) DT Kayden McDonald had 20 sacks throughout an All-State season as a junior in 2021. (Jeff Sentell / DawgNation)
Jeff Sentell, Dawgnation
Kayden McDonald: How did he even get to seven sacks in a recreation?
Energy. Pace. Membership. Rip. He used quite a lot of strikes to get to the quarterback. That stated, he’ll all the time give loads of credit score to his teammates for that large evening.
“It was loads of my teammates setting me up for sacks after which simply to maintain preventing on a few of these,” McDonald stated. “Simply must preserve pushing after which push by means of.”
The primary sack got here after the quarterback obtained chased out of the pocket. McDonald stored coming and obtained him within the midst of that scramble. He obtained North Gwinnett’s “Hammer of the Week” honor for that hit on that first sack.
McDonald then obtained a sack on the very subsequent play.
“That’s after I knew I used to be going to have a monster recreation,” he stated.
“Ok-Bo” tallied up 4 extra sacks within the third quarter of that first-round playoff contest. Fact be informed, he truly missed out on one other 2-3 sacks on the evening.
The others got here through 1-on-1 safety the place he had a great matchup. He lined up at nostril for lots of these, caught double groups and was simply so fast off the ball. He was capable of get leverage and get into gaps.
McDonald estimated he beat double groups on at the least three of these seven sacks. The 4-star even obtained a sack on a key fourth-down play. He even obtained triple-teamed.
“They blocked me on that one,” McDonald stated.
McDonald stated Scott even reached out to him about his 7-sack evening the subsequent day. It was the day earlier than the Bulldogs took on Tennessee in Knoxville.
“He stated ‘Wow’ and it was an actual blessing to listen to from him and all of the coaches which might be recruiting me who reached out after that recreation,” McDonald stated. “I obtained loads of cellphone calls and texts from coaches.”
How does an offensive coordinator permit the fifth, sixth and 7 sacks to even happen? Why drop again? Possibly roll the pocket from him? Possibly go to the fast recreation or simply run the ball?
North Gwinnett had a plan.
“We moved him round just a little bit,” Stewart stated final yr. “There have been some instances he did get doubled and fought by means of that. He truly obtained a sack whereas being doubled. We moved him round simply sufficient the place they weren’t precisely certain the place he was going to be gap-wise each play. We made it more durable for them to double.”
Stewart’s spouse has a practice for the boys.
“If you get your first sack, you get a sack of brownies,” he stated. “She bakes them brownies. After 5 sacks, you get one other sack. So he clearly has had his share of sacks and brownies. So when he obtained seven sacks in a single recreation, she purchased him lunch. So he obtained the brownies and lunch for that one.”
“That’s a special occasion. That’s a once-in-whenever type of day.”
After which he obtained a landing catch the next week.
“We had been practising that,” Stewart stated final November. “He’s carried the soccer for us earlier than in video games and final yr he obtained [a touchdown] as properly working the ball. That was the primary time we threw to him, however should you watch the play he appears like a dang tight finish on the market. He’s athletic. He sticks the ball out over the objective line. It doesn’t appear to be an enormous ol’ lineman on the market. He’s truly fairly expert at it.”
These “wow” moments are each week. He’ll bore by means of two guys and nonetheless make the play. McDonald makes his residing off nice effort and nice bodily energy.
“When he will get his thoughts made up that he’s going to trigger havoc and get to the ball, then he’s fairly unimaginable to cease,” Stewart stated.
He did get a penalty the evening he racked up these seven sacks. So he didn’t grade out an ideal 100 for that contest.
Maybe the defining second of his junior season got here after the final recreation. He despatched Stewart a textual content after a 17-14 loss to Brookwood within the second spherical.
“Mainly telling me to prepare and he was preparing for subsequent yr,” Stewart stated. “It was virtually the place he shot me a textual content to make me really feel good or to make me really feel higher. He type of let me know that he’s already all-in and able to go for the subsequent season.”
Stewart thinks he can be a great slot in Athens.
“He’s a very good child and a fantastic younger man from a fantastic household,” Stewart stated. “He suits the mould of these UGA guys and the blokes we’ve despatched just lately [Warren Ericson and Payne Walker] as much as Georgia.”
McDonald will get a steak fajita and a floor beef taco on the identical spot in Buford each Thursday earlier than his video games. That’s all the time together with his mom Kristi Inexperienced.
“It’s a ritual,” McDonald stated. “I received’t really feel the identical if I don’t try this. My mother and I am going out to eat each Thursday simply me and her. We spend time collectively and simply discuss college and soccer and stuff.”
Try McDonald’s junior spotlight reel beneath.
SENTELL’S INTEL
(verify on the latest reads on DawgNation.com)