Who is Ohio State 2023 DT commit Kayden McDonald? '(His) explosion off the ball is special'

Kristi Green remembers when it all clicked for her son, Kayden McDonald.

Her other son Jayden, a former three-star linebacker now at Troy, was at home during the coronavirus pandemic working out with his friends − former Michigan State and current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward and former South Carolina and current Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn.

Kayden McDonald, Green remembers, was sitting on the couch watching TV, not wanting to join his brother and the future NFL players in their workout, which got Jayden’s attention.

“When Jayden saw him laying on the couch, he got after him,” Green said. “Like, ‘You need to come out here and work out with us.’ I think after that, he was motivated.”

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From that moment, Green saw something new in Kayden − ambition with the goals of following in the footsteps of his brother and other high-level college football players hailing from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia.

Ambition turned into dominance, as he recorded 131 tackles for loss across four high school seasons according to MaxPreps, and turning into a main defensive tackle target Ohio State secured in the 2023 class. He is one of three defensive line commits along with Jason Moore and Will Smith Jr.

Kayden McDonald: 'You're that guy now'

At North Gwinnett, McDonald got to watch and learn from players that came before him.

As a younger player on the team, he saw players such as Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter, North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs and Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey go through their recruitment, showing him the way to navigate national-level attention with humility.

Through his junior and senior seasons, McDonald became that player, accumulating offers from Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, Texas and USC, among others.

“I’ve always discussed with him, ‘You’re that guy now,’ ” North Gwinnett football coach Bill Stewart said. “‘You’re going to be that next-level guy that if you do those things, those right things as far as the workouts and getting ready and the preparation and staying out of trouble and doing the work, you’ll get it done.’”

North Gwinnett already had a connection to Ohio State, with cornerback Jordan Hancock joining the Buckeyes in 2021, who gave Stewart feedback about how much he loves the program and how much it cares about him.

From Hancock’s time at Ohio State, Stewart said his view of Ohio State’s coaching staff is one of “high character,” something that means a lot to him and the rest of the coaches at North Gwinnett.

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“These guys are like our kids,” Stewart said. “I love Kayden McDonald. I would never steer him toward anything or anyone that I don’t think’s going to take care of him and make him the best person he can be.”

In Ohio State, Green saw a program that had “no smoke and mirrors,” and was very genuine, watching her son build close relationships with assistant athletic director/general manager for player personnel Mark Pantoni, along with cornerbacks coach and Georgia native Tim Walton, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and head coach Ryan Day, who she described as “easy to talk to” and “accessible.”

Ohio State was interested in McDonald before the program offered him after the Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon in 2021. But she saw it as a turning point for her son, remembering him as “emotional” after Day’s call with the offer.

“After Ohio State was when a lot of other schools were like, ‘Wait a minute. OK, who is this guy?’ ” Green said.

What Ohio State is getting in Kayden McDonald

What Ohio State saw was the same thing Bill Stewart saw.

“Down in that little box, man, he’s very explosive within a three-foot space there,” Stewart said. “(His) explosion off the ball is special.”

In four seasons, McDonald recorded 234 total tackles, averaging 5.9 tackles per game, with 46 sacks from the middle of North Gwinnett’s defensive line.

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And Stewart knows what he and his staff do at North Gwinnett is working, preaching to players how college football is “a game of attrition,” and that consistency is key at the next level.

While college football is a different animal, Stewart knows McDonald, who will enroll with Ohio State next summer, is prepared and that he’ll “catch fire” when given the opportunity at Ohio State.

Stewart just knows the track record of what North Gwinnett has produced.

“We don’t have many guys that it doesn’t work out for,” Stewart said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kayden McDonald's ambition and domination get Ohio State's attention