Derek Mcdonald
Derek Mcdonald
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Derek Mcdonald has been at Syracuse through three head coaches in four seasons. The receipt: 3 tackles against UConn — Week 2, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Dino Babers, Nunzio Campanile, and Fran Brown. Multi-era developmental context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Fran Brown
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 66–24
vs Colgate
1 TOT
Dominant 42-point win at home against Colgate.
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Syracuse
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Syracuse
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -10 net (19 in / 29 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Syracuse · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #34 · 2026 recruiting class #35
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to James Jackson’s 2022 season.
Matches James on
Differs from James on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jermaine Johnson's junior season at Massachusetts (2022).
Matches Jermaine on