Tag: Craig McDonald

Auburn safety Craig McDonald enters the transfer portal

He is the seventh Auburn player to enter the transfer portal during the spring window and the sixth defensive player to do so.

Auburn reserve safety [autotag]Craig McDonald[/autotag] has re-entered the transfer portal, he announced the news Friday on Twitter.

McDonald started his career at Iowa State before transferring to Auburn last April. The 6-foot-2, 199-pounder appeared in two games and did not record a stat during his one season on the Plains.

He is the seventh Auburn player to enter the transfer portal during the spring window and the sixth defensive player to do so. He follows linebackers Powell Gordon, Desmond Tisdol, and Kameron Brown, defensive linemen Jeffrey M’ba and Tobechi Okoli, and wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson.

McDonald appeared in 13 games for Iowa State during the 2021 season, making 41 tackles and two interceptions.

RELATED: Live updates of Auburn Tigers in the portal

With Auburn returning safeties Jaylin Simpson, Marquise Gilbert, Zion Puckett, Cayden Bridges, and Caleb Wooden it would have been tough for McDonald to have a key role for the Tigers.

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2022 Auburn football preview: Safety

Zion Puckett is the leader of a talented group at safety for Auburn.

Auburn will be without a former leader in [autotag]Smoke Monday[/autotag] at safety but [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] is ready for his turn to be the leader of the group.

He was Auburn’s No. 2 safety last season and is the undisputed top dog this year. While the second starting spot is up for grabs, the secondary coach [autotag]Zach Etheridge[/autotag] has several interesting options in [autotag]Cayden Bridges[/autotag] and newcomers [autotag]Marquise Gilbert[/autotag] and [autotag]Craig McDonald[/autotag], who both have plenty of experience.

Another key player is [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag], who will spend time at both nickel and safety and is once again looking to create disruptive plays, something he excelled at doing last season.

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2022 Transfer Profile: Craig McDonald

Here’s the rundown on Auburn’s new transfer safety:

After safety Smoke Monday’s departure, Auburn is shoring up its safety corps.

The Tigers recently added Iowa State safety Craig McDonald to the team through the transfer portal on Saturday, and coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] is likely pleased he can add another weapon to the defensive side of the ball. McDonald will probably look to compete for a safety spot with sophomore Cayden Bridges and JUCO transfer Marquise Gilbert.

McDonald didn’t play much in his freshman season with Cyclones, but he became a notable contributor in his sophomore year when the team went 7-6 and lost its bowl game to Clemson. With McDonald’s time playing safety at the college position, the Tigers could bring some much-needed experience to help its safety corps and help bolster a defense that many are questioning after its departures to the NFL draft in Monday and linebacker Zakoby McClain.

Here is what you need to know about Auburn’s latest addition and his path getting to the Plains:

Auburn adds transfer from Big 12 program

Auburn adds former Iowa State safety Craig McDonald.

On Saturday, the Auburn Tigers received a bit of good news for their upcoming season. Iowa State defensive back transfer Craig McDonald announced that he was transferring to Auburn via his Twitter account. He is the second defensive back to transfer to the Plains this offseason. The other player to transfer to the program was DJ James] who transferred in from Oregon.

McDonald was ranked as a three-star recruit according to 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. He held offers from other schools like Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Ultimately, he chose Matt Campbell’s program in Ames as a part of their 2020 recruiting class.

After redshirting in 2020, he proved his worth on the field this past season. In his sophomore season, he recorded 41 tackles and two interceptions on the year. His role increased as he was an important player on the Cyclones’ defense this past season. Now, he will be joining the Tigers’ defense that has assimilated a good unit on the defensive side of the ball for this upcoming season.

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen-USA TODAY NETWORK

As of now, the Tigers have several safeties already in the fold. Players like Cayden Bridges, Zion Puckett, Marquise Gilbert, and Caleb Wooden are competing for starting roles at one of the two safety spots. Presumably, Puckett will be the starter at free safety. However, the strong safety spot is up for grabs heading into summer practices. With that being said, his role will likely be at safety on Jeff Schmedding’s defense. Standing at 6-foot-3, he certainly possesses the size to be an elite player in the SEC.

We will have to wait until the fall to see how Auburn’s defensive depth chart unfolds. It is clear that Harsin wanted to add members to the team’s secondary this offseason. By landing James and McDonald, he addressed those areas with two of the best defensive backs in the entire transfer portal. It will be interesting to see how the Minnesota native performs at Auburn and what his role will be on the defense this upcoming season.

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