This transfer linebacker could end up being a steal for TCU football
When TCU changed its approach in the transfer portal after last year’s disappointing 5-7 campaign, players like Cooper McDonald were the ones the Horned Frogs wanted to target.
McDonald was far from the biggest name in the portal and he wasn’t coming from a blueblood program like Alabama or LSU. Instead McDonald spent his last two seasons at San Diego State after starting his career at Washington.
He was an under-the-radar pickup for TCU, but is now turning heads during fall camp despite just arriving in the summer. The 6-foot-3, 240 pound linebacker has already gotten reps with the first team defense and figures to be a key piece in the rotation.
That opportunity, plus a chance to come home, led to McDonald selecting TCU while he was in the portal.
“It was the winning culture that they base themselves on around here,” McDonald said Tuesday after practice. “Another reason is I’m actually from Fort Worth, so this is home for me. It’s just a blessing to be playing in front of friends and families, it makes it a lot easier on everybody I love.”
The Haslet native had to go to the west coast to establish himself before he could return home. In his last two seasons with the Aztecs, McDonald produced 78 tackles with 8.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.
The numbers won’t jump off the page, but McDonald’s tenacity on the field along with his football IQ has stood out during fall camp. He’s played a lot of football, which helped him get off to such a fast start despite learning an entirely new defense.
“I came in here hungry and I knew what I wanted to get it done,” McDonald said. “I just wanted to come in here and make a name for myself. Ever since I was a little kid, dad and mom always preached to be the hardest worker on the field. I live by that and I believe I’ve been doing a pretty good job, but the work never stops.”
McDonald’s work ethic helped him learn Andy Avalos’ new defensive system rather quickly. On one series McDonald might line up as a pass rusher, in another series he may be spaced out nickel guarding a slot wide receiver.
It can be a lot to consume, but once you get it down the scheme allows everybody to make plays if they do their jobs.
“I love it, Coach Avalos, he is truly a very smart person,” McDonald said. “We have some history because he was the head coach at Boise State while I was at San Diego State. I played him for two years and every year his defense got after our offense pretty bad each year.
“It’s very dynamic, he’s very smart and he puts us in the right position to make plays. He can do a lot with different bodies, there are different packages, there are a lot of things that he does with us. He’s put me into the boundary and let me pass rush, in a different package he’ll put me more towards the field and let me be a nickel. I’m enjoying it, I’m having a blast being versatile.”
McDonald has made his presence felt getting after the quarterback and even making plays in coverage like in last Friday’s scrimmage when McDonald jumped up to intercept a pass from Josh Hoover over the middle of the field.
McDonald has made plays like that all of training camp and now TCU has a quality stable of linebackers it can use on the edge with McDonald, projected starter Devean Deal, Marcel Brooks and Jonathan Bax.
He wasn’t a household name when he committed to TCU, but McDonald could end up being one of the Horned Frogs’ biggest steals out of the transfer portal.
“That guy, he’s going to be a problem,” Hoover said. “If you don’t know about Cooper McDonald, then you better read the newspaper.”
