College football transfer portal: Where top 20 defensive backs landed ahead of 2024 season
Chuck McDonald, a four-star cornerback, has committed to Alabama, Bama247 announced on Saturday afternoon. From May 31 to June 21, the Mater Dei (Calif.) prospect paid a formal visit to the campus. McDonald was originally scheduled to visit Georgia this weekend, followed by USC and Oregon, in that order, to wrap up June. His initial visit to Tuscaloosa gave him enough information to feel confident in his decision-making.
After the trip, he told Tom Loy of 247Sports, “The visit as a whole went very well.” “Getting to meet everyone in person for the first time was one of the trip’s pleasures. I had a terrific time on the vacation and was made to feel extremely comfortable by everyone.”
Analysis on a national level: Alabama adds a “versatile, explosive” defensive back to Mater Dei (Calif.) Chuck McDonald
DeBoer, McDonald, Maurice Linguist, and Kane Wommack all clicked right away.
Following the trip, he remarked, “I had one-on-one meetings with them and they all went great.” They simply gave me the impression that I was very important to them. They demonstrated to me that I am capable of big things at Bama given my skill set.”
Zabien Brown, a rookie, and McDonald, a former high school classmate, are among the current roster’s links. Domani Jackson, who also attended the national powerhouse, and he are also close.
“Having them up there is definitely appealing,” he said to Bama247 before to the trip. “Zabien and I discuss it a great deal. He simply tells me that he enjoys it. With those folks already up there, I think it’s really, really great.”
The 2025 class of Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the nation by 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings and has up to 12 commitments. McDonald becomes the latest addition to the Crimson Tide coaching staff, which has had a fantastic start to the summer along with four-star quarterback Keelon Russell of Duncanville, Texas. Three-star linebacker Abduall Sanders Jr., who is McDonald’s teammate, is also a member of the class.
According to the 247Sports Player Rankings, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound player is the No. 13 ranked cornerback, No. 115 overall prospect, and No. 9 player in California.
Report on Scouting via Greg Biggins
“Every time we meet McDonald, he just keeps getting better and better. He is on the rise. Being 6-0.5 and 190 pounds, he has a well-defined frame and is one of the fastest corners in the West. He set a personal best in the 10.84-100m this spring, capping an impressive season on the track. However, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a leg injury. He is a ballhawk who seeks to make big defensive plays by jumping routes. He closes on the football pretty effectively, reads and reacts quickly, and does a great job getting out of his breaks. He can open and run with the quicker receivers down the field with to his top end speed, and he can even play nickel to match up with shiftier, smaller wideouts. He’s becoming more physical in his play and tackles well in space. McDonald possesses the ability to play for any American college and an NFL skill set with qualities that project to the highest level.”
