Iowa State safety Craig McDonald transfers to Auburn football

Auburn football landed a commitment from Iowa State transfer safety Craig McDonald on Saturday.

McDonald is a former three-star recruit who will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Last season, he had 41 tackles and two interceptions for the Cyclones, bringing power-conference experience to a position group that needs to replace Smoke Monday and Bydarrius Knighten.

Auburn had a reserve (Cayden Bridges) and an early enrollee (Caleb Wooden) taking first-team reps at safety during spring practice. Zion Puckett was out with an injury but is expected to start.

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McDonald is Auburn's seventh incoming transfer and will be the 24th new signee on the 2022 roster, bringing the Tigers close to the 25-man limit on annual signees including transfers.

That's a rule that might be done away with soon as the transfer portal era has changed the dynamic as teams try to fill close to the maximum 85 available scholarships.

McDonald attended Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety was the No. 862 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class and No. 66 at his position.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Craig McDonald transfers to Auburn football: former Iowa State safety