Junior defensive tackle Kayden McDonald has earned a new moniker after an offseason transformation that saw him cut down on body fat and gain muscle.
Now calling himself “Slim Mac,” McDonald played the majority of last year at 330 pounds. This season, however, McDonald is a leaner 322 pounds.
McDonald praised the Buckeyes strength and nutrition staff, particularly director of sport performance Mickey Marotti and performance dietitian Kaila Olsen for helping him shred eight pounds of fat in the offseason.
“It started in the offseason, fixing my diet, getting my weight down, having Coach Mick on me every day,” McDonald said. “Shout out Kaila, preparing my meals every day in the offseason. I just kept working.”
Proper dieting has not only helped McDonald eliminate body fat, but improved his feet quickness and lateral movement.
McDonald credited former Buckeye defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton for leading by example with conditioning and dieting.
“Having the guys like Tyleik and Ty, they showed me what it took,” McDonald said. “So now I just took the steps, doing more conditioning.”
McDonald is stepping into the shoes of Williams and Hamilton, aiming to leave his own mark among Buckeye defensive tackles.
Even though McDonald believes he can handle more snaps than last year, defensive line coach Larry Johnson said he still plans to rotate the front four to keep his top players fresh.
“We’re going to have to rotate and keep them fresh, but we have to hope the 20-25 plays they do play are quality plays,” Johnson said. “That’s the whole key to this whole pack, right?”
With the season just over two weeks away, McDonald said he’s eager to take the field for the first time this year.
“I’m just excited, man, for my guys. I’m really excited for this season,” McDonald said.
