McDonald becomes third commitment for Tigers

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Mar 07 13:50:30 GMT-04:00 2012

The Clemson coaching staff picked up their third commitment of the 2013 recruiting cycle Wednesday morning with the addition of linebacker prospect Isaac McDonald Isaac McDonald

Outside Linebacker

6-6, 215

Hialeah, FL

View Full Profile of Hialeah (FL) Champagnat Catholic.

McDonald was on campus for Clemson’s junior day this past weekend, and the opportunity to make his collegiate home in Clemson was too much to pass up, according to Mike Tunsil, McDonald’s high school head coach.

“Actually, I was there with him when Clemson played in the Orange Bowl, and we got to see them practice,” Tunsil told TigerNet. “He has been loving Clemson since that time, and after he went up there this week, that was the icing on the cake. He came home, and he said, ‘Coach, that is where I want to be.’ He was ready to commit then. But I told him to go home and think about it a couple of more days. He came in this morning, and he said, ‘That is still where I want to be.’ So he made the phone call to Coach [Dabo] Swinney.”

The 6-6, 205-pounder – who had 89 tackles as a junior - made the call to Swinney shortly after his first period class, and Tunsil said he let McDonald know that once he was committed, the recruiting process was over. He still holds verbal offers from Louisville, Marshall, Massachusetts, Notre Dame, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford and West Virginia.

“I have been in this business long enough to know that when a kid commits, it’s time to shut it down,” Tunsil said. “They [recruiters] will still be going after the parents, but on my end, this is done. He is committed to Clemson.”

McDonald plays free safety in high school but will be a linebacker on the collegiate level, and Tunsil said he thinks McDonald will be closer to 225 pounds by the time he reaches Clemson.

“He is 6-foot-6 but he plays the game like a small man,” he said. “Most guys that are that tall, they look awkward. They look like a basketball player out there trying to play football. He looks like a football player. He is very physical, and he plays the game hard. He plays it one way – all out.”

McDonald’s teammate is Charles William, a 6-2, 180-pounder who has played quarterback in high school but will most likely be a defensive back or wide receiver in college. Williams made the trip to Clemson with McDonald this past weekend, and he also favors the Tigers.

“He was loving Clemson,” Tunsil said of Williams. “He was ready to commit after being up there this weekend, but his mom told him to just take some time and make sure and look at a couple of other schools. But Clemson is still his leader.”