Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald makes NFL decision

The offseason came well before anyone wanted for Ohio State , and since the loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, players have been entering the transfer portal almost as fast as they can. In addition to that, though, we have been tracking players who have potential NFL declarations to make.

One of those players is star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald , who has played so well during his first year of starting that he was named a first-team All-American , with many NFL mock drafts having McDonald as a first-round pick. So, with a guy like McDonald, there's always the balance between coming back for one more season to develop and striking while the iron is hot.

In McDonald's case, after weighing everything, he has decided to declare early for the NFL draft. He announced it on social media on Friday with a nice message of gratitude.

The loss of McDonald means Ohio State will have to find a replacement at the nose. Will Smith Jr. and newly minted UCF transfer John Walker seem like likely candidates at this point unless OSU looks deeper into the transfer portal.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald announces future NFL plans