2023 Football Roster
Roster
McDonald, Derek
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Jersey Number 15
Derek McDonald
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 224
- Class:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Atlanta, Ga.
- High School:
- Marist School
Bio
Career Overview: Key player in Syracuse’s linebacking corps rotation, appearing in 37 games with 26 starts ... Missed time during his redshirt freshman season due to injuries ... Has 160 careeer tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception in his career.
Redshirt Junior Year (2024): Appeared in every game with seven starts at linebacker … Fifth on the team with 55 tackles, also had a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and 0.5 tackles for loss … Had seven tackles in the season opener vs. Ohio (8/31) … Made six tackles and a quarterback hurry against Georgia Tech (9/7) … Had a team-high nine tackles against Stanford (9/20) … Made seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Holy Cross (9/28) … Had six tackles at UNLV (10/4) … Tallied seven tackles and a forced fumble at NC State (10/12) … Had six tackles at Pittsburgh (10/24) … Made three tackles against Virginia Tech (11/2) … Had one tackle at Boston College (11/9) … Had one tackle in each of the final-three games (UConn, Miami and Washington State).
Redshirt Sophomore Year (2023): Started every game at linebacker ... Was third on the team with 67 tackles ... Also had 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a team-best five quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup ... Made seven tackles and 0.5 sacks in the season opener against Colgate (9/2) ... Notched two tackles and a sack vs. Western Michigan (9/9) ... Had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry in the victory at Purdue (9/16) ... Made two tackles against Army (9.23) ... Tallied three tackles against Clemson (9/30) ... Recovered a fumble and had seven tackles at North Carolina (10/7) ... Posted a career-high 10 tackles and a half sack at Florida State (10/14) ... Made seven tackles and hurried the quarterback once at Virginia Tech (10/26) ... Had four tackles against Boston College (11/3) ... Tallied five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in the win over Pittsburgh (11/11) ... Made three tackles at Georgia Tech (11/18) ... Had four tackles and a half sack in the win over Wake Forest (11/25) ... Finished the season with six tackles and a pass breakup in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl vs. South Florida (12/21).
Redshirt Freshman Year (2022): Started the season as the Orange’s fourth linebacker before moving into the starting lineup after Stefon Thompson suffered a season-ending injury in the opener ... Appeared in nine games with eight starts, missing the final stretch of the season with an injury ... Had 43 tackles (22 solo), one interception, a sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries on the season ... Key piece of a defensive unit that finished the season 14th nationally in passing defense (184.8) and 21st in total defense (328.6) ... Had an interception and a tackle for loss in the season-opening win over Louisville (9/3) ... Made his first collegiate start in the win at UConn (9/10), finishing with four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss ... Made five tackles in the victory over Purdue (9/17) ... Notched a season-high nine tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup against NC State (10/15) ... Made eight tackles at Clemson (10/22) ... Recorded five tackles and a quarterback hurry vs. Notre Dame (10/29) ... Made three tackles and hurried the QB once at Pittsburgh (11/5) ... Made four tackles and had his first career sack - a strip sack of QB Jordan Travis - against Florida State (11/12) ... Made four tackles at Wake Forest (11/19) ... Missed the final two games due to injury ... Member of the ACC Honor Roll ... Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in both semesters.
Redshirt Year (2021): Appeared in two games as a reserve linebacker ... Made his collegiate debut at NC State (11/20) ... Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the spring semester.
High School: Played for head coach Alan Chdwick … Rated three stars by 247Sports.com composite rankings … 4A Player of the Year … All-Metro Dekalb County selection … Two-time first-team All-Region selection … Team captain in 2020 when he had 70 tackles, 22 TFLs, five sacks and four forced fumbles in his senior season, while also scoring a pair of touchdowns on offense … Led team to 13-0 record and the 2020 state championship …Team MVP … Also played basketball in high school.
Personal: Derek Edward McDonald … Born July 15, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia … Son of Bruce nd Nina McDonald … One brother, one sister … Mother, Nina, ran track at North Carolina … Majoring in broadcast and digital journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Redshirt Junior Year (2024): Appeared in every game with seven starts at linebacker … Fifth on the team with 55 tackles, also had a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and 0.5 tackles for loss … Had seven tackles in the season opener vs. Ohio (8/31) … Made six tackles and a quarterback hurry against Georgia Tech (9/7) … Had a team-high nine tackles against Stanford (9/20) … Made seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Holy Cross (9/28) … Had six tackles at UNLV (10/4) … Tallied seven tackles and a forced fumble at NC State (10/12) … Had six tackles at Pittsburgh (10/24) … Made three tackles against Virginia Tech (11/2) … Had one tackle at Boston College (11/9) … Had one tackle in each of the final-three games (UConn, Miami and Washington State).
Redshirt Sophomore Year (2023): Started every game at linebacker ... Was third on the team with 67 tackles ... Also had 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a team-best five quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup ... Made seven tackles and 0.5 sacks in the season opener against Colgate (9/2) ... Notched two tackles and a sack vs. Western Michigan (9/9) ... Had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry in the victory at Purdue (9/16) ... Made two tackles against Army (9.23) ... Tallied three tackles against Clemson (9/30) ... Recovered a fumble and had seven tackles at North Carolina (10/7) ... Posted a career-high 10 tackles and a half sack at Florida State (10/14) ... Made seven tackles and hurried the quarterback once at Virginia Tech (10/26) ... Had four tackles against Boston College (11/3) ... Tallied five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in the win over Pittsburgh (11/11) ... Made three tackles at Georgia Tech (11/18) ... Had four tackles and a half sack in the win over Wake Forest (11/25) ... Finished the season with six tackles and a pass breakup in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl vs. South Florida (12/21).
Redshirt Freshman Year (2022): Started the season as the Orange’s fourth linebacker before moving into the starting lineup after Stefon Thompson suffered a season-ending injury in the opener ... Appeared in nine games with eight starts, missing the final stretch of the season with an injury ... Had 43 tackles (22 solo), one interception, a sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries on the season ... Key piece of a defensive unit that finished the season 14th nationally in passing defense (184.8) and 21st in total defense (328.6) ... Had an interception and a tackle for loss in the season-opening win over Louisville (9/3) ... Made his first collegiate start in the win at UConn (9/10), finishing with four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss ... Made five tackles in the victory over Purdue (9/17) ... Notched a season-high nine tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup against NC State (10/15) ... Made eight tackles at Clemson (10/22) ... Recorded five tackles and a quarterback hurry vs. Notre Dame (10/29) ... Made three tackles and hurried the QB once at Pittsburgh (11/5) ... Made four tackles and had his first career sack - a strip sack of QB Jordan Travis - against Florida State (11/12) ... Made four tackles at Wake Forest (11/19) ... Missed the final two games due to injury ... Member of the ACC Honor Roll ... Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in both semesters.
Redshirt Year (2021): Appeared in two games as a reserve linebacker ... Made his collegiate debut at NC State (11/20) ... Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the spring semester.
High School: Played for head coach Alan Chdwick … Rated three stars by 247Sports.com composite rankings … 4A Player of the Year … All-Metro Dekalb County selection … Two-time first-team All-Region selection … Team captain in 2020 when he had 70 tackles, 22 TFLs, five sacks and four forced fumbles in his senior season, while also scoring a pair of touchdowns on offense … Led team to 13-0 record and the 2020 state championship …Team MVP … Also played basketball in high school.
Personal: Derek Edward McDonald … Born July 15, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia … Son of Bruce nd Nina McDonald … One brother, one sister … Mother, Nina, ran track at North Carolina … Majoring in broadcast and digital journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Fran Brown Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
Players Postgame vs. UConn
Saturday, September 06
Syracuse Football Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
Fran Brown Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
