The Recruiting Guy

Recruit's family thrilled by offer from Hogs

Kayden McDonald

Highly-recruited Georgia junior defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, an ESPN 4-star prospect, received a scholarship offer from the University of Arkansas on Feb. 10 and his family in the Natural State is elated.

McDonald, 6-3, 325 pounds, of North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee was born in Texarkana, Texas, and has a large number of family friends and family members living in the Hope/Nashville and Southwest Arkansas area along with Fayetteville.

His mother, Kristi Green, who’s from Mineral Springs, announced her son’s offer from the Hogs on social media and the reaction was swift.

“My mom posted it on Facebook and pretty much the whole state of Arkansas went crazy about it,” McDonald said. “Family, friends, fans, pretty much everybody. It was insane.”

The offer from Arkansas was his 29th. He has since added others from Purdue, Pittsburgh, LSU and Auburn. McDonald was taken aback by the reaction over social media.

“I was excited, I didn’t expect the fan base to do that. It was just a blessing getting all the love from Arkansas,” McDonald said.

He also has offers from Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Louisville, Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida State and others.

McDonald recorded 95 tackles, 19 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries and 3 deflected passes as a junior. He recently squatted 545 pounds twice during an offseason workout.

ESPN also rates him the No. 20 defensive tackle and the No. 288 overall prospect in the nation for the 2023 class.

Since last summer, he’s visited Georgia, Ohio State, North Carolina State, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Auburn and Alabama with a trip to Fayetteville being a possibility.

“I’m looking to visit March 12th,” McDonald said of the Hogs. “That’s my birthday weekend. I’m not sure we’re visiting but that’s what we’re looking at.”

Razorback defensive line coach Deke Adams coached former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s had five other NFL Draft selections since 2013, including another first-round pick.

“He knows what he’s doing, he’s easy to talk to,” McDonald said of Adams. “He’s funny. I can relate to him. Everything about Coach Adams is good. I just can’t wait to get on campus to see what he’s about.”

His brother, Jayden was high school teammates with former South Florida quarterback Caden Fortin, who has committed to walk on at Arkansas.

McDonald, whose father Jason McDonald is from the Howard County area, said all of his Arkansas family members are “diehard Razorback fans.”

“Even before I got the offer, they would say be a Razorback because they’re so crazy about the Arkansas Razorbacks,” McDonald said.

The outgoing and personable McDonald has a 3.0 grade point average and is considering a broadcasting career after his playing days are over.

He said his family in Arkansas are pumped about the possibility of seeing him in a Razorback uniform.

“Everybody can watch me play on Saturday, so that’s why my family is going crazy,” he said.