Syracuse Football lands fourth defensive line recruit for 2021

Syracuse football picks up its fourth defensive lineman for the class of 2021. We have all the details on Derek McDonald, the newest member of the Orange.

Syracuse football adds another defensive lineman early in the 2021 recruiting process. So far, ‘Cuse has landed Terry Lockett, Jaelin Moss, and Hayden Nelson. Next, the Orange landed Derek McDonald to bolster the defensive line corps in the future years. McDonald is a junior at Marist School in Georgia and announced his decision to play for Syracuse on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/derekmcd21/status/1257671451035009024

McDonald played on both sides of the ball in high school and was even recruited to play offense by colleges. But he is expected to suit up on defense for the Orange and was recruited by Tony White, the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Syracuse was the first Power-Five to give McDonald an offer, and he received 21 total offers. Other schools that recruited him were Akron, Princeton, Villanova, and many more.

For Syracuse, McDonald will be a presence on the edge but is a raw talent right now and still needs some improvement. But this commitment should excite fans as Syracuse is prioritizing defensive line play, especially after some great pass-rushers have recently graduated from ‘Cuse.

McDonald stands at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, and needs to add some strength to be an elite edge threat but already has the intangibles he needs to be successful in Syracuse.

So far, Syracuse football has six commits in the 2021 class, and four of those are defensive line players. Look for the Orange to fill other needs throughout the process. For the upcoming season, Syracuse is filling the void left by Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson. Now with the replacements set for this season, players like Josh Black will be departing after this year, so by next year, there’s going to be another hole to fill, and Derek McDonald will compete for that spot on the Hill.